The Exchange
by kazavid
Summary: After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date: **27th June 2007**  
Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter: **1/10**  
Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **Not sure yet (Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **None**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and its character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape…or persuade…his 'rescuers', not to hand him over to face retribution from someone who wants to see him dead.

**The Exchange**

CHAPTER 1

The sun was high above them, shining down from a perfect blue sky. A bead of sweat ran down Sheppard's face from the fierce heat of the sun. He was kneeling on the ground, as were the rest of his team, their hands were bound behind their backs. A man stood at the side of Sheppard holding a gun pressed to the side of Sheppard's forehead.

"Just be thankful that you're going to die first. You really don't want to see what we have planned for your friends," the man said with a laugh. He turned to look at his men who were all standing around…watching…and waiting.

Sheppard grimaced, wondering if this would be the last time he saw or heard anything. He glanced sideways at Ronon, who was badly beaten because he'd refused to give in. At McKay, who had already resigned himself to the fact he was about to die. And finally to Teyla, who seemed to have lost that characteristic strength that she normally possessed.

Sheppard's head jerked violently, as the man beside him, hit the butt of his gun against his temple.

"Maybe next time you'll learn not to interfere in things that don't concern you," the man sneered. He bent down until his mouth was right next to Sheppard's ear. "Oh, wait...sorry...there isn't going to be a next time. Not for you and not for your friends." The man took a step back and put the gun against Sheppard's head for the second time.

Sheppard was accepting the fact that he was probably about to die, the only thing he regretted was the fact that his friends were going to die too.

**OOo**

From the ridge just above the camp, Tanisha watched what was going on. She'd been following Sheppard and his team for the past few days. A couple of times, Ronon had almost caught her. When Sheppard and his team had been captured by the men, she'd cursed. He was her prey and she'd almost had him. Now she had to wait and see what the men planned to do with him.

As soon as their hands had been bound and they'd been made to kneel on the ground, she'd been pretty sure what the men's intentions were. When the leader had put a gun to Sheppard's head, her suspicions were confirmed. They meant to kill him.

She couldn't allow that to happen, she needed Sheppard alive. She quickly got together the equipment she needed to retrieve her prey.

"Tanisha what are you doing?" Lucas asked when he saw her getting the gear.

"I'm going to get my property," she replied, pulling out two hand guns from her backpack.

"You'll get killed if you go down there," he told her, his own thoughts were in turmoil because he knew just how much this deal depended upon them getting Sheppard, alive. The words from a few days earlier replayed in his head.

"_You want him back safe and sound? Then you'd better make sure that cousin of yours gets Sheppard. And make sure he's alive when you deliver him, or the deal is off."_

Tanisha held out the two guns toward Lucas. "Are you going to help me or not?" she asked him.

Her voice pulled him out of the dark memory and he glared at her. "Do you need to ask?" he bit out, angry that she'd even voiced the question. He grabbed the two guns from her and closed his eyes, praying that they would succeed.

Tanisha, like Lucas, held a gun in each hand, she glanced at him and said, "Are you ready?" He nodded and took a deep breath before moving toward the camp where Sheppard was being held.

**OOo**

Sheppard gritted his teeth and waited for the man to pull the trigger. The man's laughter was grating on his nerves. The least he could do, Sheppard thought, was keep his mouth shut as he killed him. He heard a click as the man readied the gun and he closed his eyes.

Waiting for the trigger to be pulled, Sheppard frowned because it was taking so long. He opened his eyes to see what was happening. In the distance he saw two dark figures. Both of them held a gun in each hand and were firing at the men in the camp. The funny thing was he couldn't hear any sound.

He watched as the men fell one by one. Then the two figures began to fire upon his team mates until he was the only one left. He didn't feel any pain as the gun was fired at him, but he felt himself falling, felt his eyes closing as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Tanisha looked around at the bodies strewn across the ground; she then looked at her hands to see they were shaking. Shoving the guns in her pockets, she clenched her hands in a bid to stop the shaking, but it didn't work.

"We need to get them out of here before anyone comes around to check," she told Lucas, who was standing next to her.

"What are we going to do with them?" he asked, curiously, pointing at the rest of Sheppard people. Their plan had never involved the other members of Sheppard's team, only the man himself.

"Nothing, we'll leave them somewhere to be picked up by their own people."

They got Sheppard and his team on to a wagon and set off for the Stargate. They dialled an address and went through the event horizon, wagon and all. They left Sheppard's team close by the Stargate and contacted Atlantis to let them know where their people where.

**OOo**

**ATLANTIS**

Everyone was standing around staring at the established wormhole, waiting for an IDC signal to confirm that it was Sheppard's team who were trying to contact them.

"You haven't received an IDC yet?" Weir asked the technician at the console.

"No ma'am, nothing yet," he confirmed, no sooner had he answered Weir when he began to receive a signal. He looked up at her. "We're receiving a transmission."

"Put it through."

The sound of a woman's voice echoed around the Gateroom.

"I have Sheppard's team here. If you want to retrieve them, then I suggest that you send someone immediately to pick them up. All of them are unconscious, and at least one of them is in need of medical assistance," the woman told them.

"May I ask why they are all unconscious?" Weir asked.

"Your people don't have any protection, so it's vital that they are picked up within the next twenty minutes. After that I'm afraid any predatory animals in the area will most likely attempt to feed upon them." The woman totally ignored Weirs question.

"How do we know it's not a trap?" Weir asked.

"You don't. I've done everything I can to ensure their safety, the rest is up to you," she told Weir.

Weir was just about to ask who she was when the transmission was cut off.

"I want Major Lorne's team up here and ready to go. And tell Beckett we need a medic to go with Lorne's team to assess any injuries."

"Yes ma'am."

**OOo**

As Lorne and his team exited the Stargate, their guns raised and ready to fire, they quickly scanned the area. The first thing they noticed was that there were only three bodies on the ground before them. There was no sign of Colonel Sheppard.

"Damn it!" Lorne bit out, he turned in a circle, searching for any sign of another body. "Lieutenant Anderson, take three men with you and check the area to see if you can locate Colonel Sheppard. And be careful."

"Yes sir," Anderson said.

"How are they?" Lorne asked the medic who was assessing their unconscious colleagues.

"McKay and Teyla appear to be fine. Ronon…I can't say, he's been pretty badly beaten. We won't know how extensive his injuries are until we can get him back to Atlantis."

"Is he alright to be moved?"

"Yes."

Lorne looked around the area and wondered if Colonel Sheppard was out there somewhere, maybe injured like Ronon and unable to get back.

Lorne activated his comm. "Lieutenant Anderson, any sign of Colonel Sheppard?" Lorne asked.

"No sir, we haven't come across anything yet," Anderson told him.

Lorne sighed, and then told Anderson to get back to the Stargate.

**OOo**

Tanisha and Lucas were watching from a high vantage point that gave them a good view of the Stargate, waiting for the Atlanteans to retrieve their unconscious comrades. They were taking a long time searching the surrounding area, obviously looking for Sheppard.

Tanisha turned her head to the side and looked at the unconscious Sheppard beside her. Since she'd been forced in to doing this deal, she'd tried to learn as much about the man as she could. Arrogant, over confident and very charismatic, were the first things she'd heard. But then her sources had also confirmed that he was honourable and trustworthy. Tanisha sighed, it didn't matter how nice or decent he was, she had no choice in the matter.

She looked back at the Stargate and caught a glimpse as the last man entered the wormhole.

"Do you want to move now, or wait for a while longer," Lucas asked her.

"I think we should go now. The quicker we can deliver him the better," she said.

**OOo**

Doctor Weir was waiting for the return of Major Lorne, anxious to find out how Sheppard's team were. As soon as they came through the Gate, she quickly moved to meet them. McKay and Teyla were the first through, followed by Ronon who looked to be in bad shape.

"Major, how are they?" she asked Lorne, her eyes moving between the Major and the Gate as she waited for Sheppard to appear. "Is Colonel Sheppard still on the planet?" she asked him.

"No ma'am. Colonel Sheppard wasn't with his team," he told her.

"Wasn't there!"

"We searched for him but there was no sign of him," he informed her. "I'd like your permission to take another team back there and do a more intensive search of the area."

"Of course, you have my permission Major."

**OOo**

Sheppard moaned and rolled over. His head felt fuzzy and his eyelids felt like lead weights. He could hear voices in the background and he tried to open his eyes, but found himself falling back in to unconsciousness.

The next time he woke up, he managed to open his eyes. He found himself staring at a woman who was sitting across from him, she was watching him. He went to sit up but his hands and feet were bound together with some strange looking devices.

The woman was sitting down, so he couldn't see how tall she was, but he could see how attractive she was. If they had met under different circumstances...he let the thought fade away.

"Mind telling me what's going on?" he asked, glaring at the woman. She didn't answer his question. She didn't even acknowledge if she'd heard him, which pissed him off a little.

"I've heard the phrase 'dumb blonde' before, but never 'dumb brunette' guess they must have missed that one, huh," he remarked sarcastically. She still didn't speak or react.

He was in a wooded area and he looked around as far as he could see, wondering where Ronon and the others where. "Where are my friends?" he asked quickly. He remembered the figures pointing their guns at them and firing. He was dreading the thought that they had been killed.

"Your friends should be fine," she said, finally deciding to speak.

"Should be?" he queried, not liking the vague answer she'd given him.

"The last time I saw them, they were being taken through the Stargate by their own people," she said.

"How do you know their own people took them?"

"Because, I, dialled Atlantis and told them where to find them," she said, exasperated by his questioning.

"So, what do you want with me?" he asked, curious as to why she wanted him.

She didn't answer him; she gave him the silent treatment again. Maybe he'd pissed her off, he thought, but then she'd pissed him off too, so now they were even. He looked at the devices that were around his wrists and ankles. Now if McKay were here, he'd probably be able to get him out of these things in no time. They looked like metal bracelets, the inner part of his wrists were stuck together, as where his ankles. He was curious as to how they worked, wanted to know if he could disable them somehow. He'd have to find out.

"Need any help with him," a man's voice came from behind Sheppard.

Sheppard turned to see the owner of the voice. He hadn't realised that anyone else was around. The guy stood about the same height as Sheppard, but he had a slightly thinner build. He had short brown hair and was dressed similarly to the woman, in dark clothes.

"No, I don't need any help, I can handle him," she told the man.

Sheppard snorted at her reply, _oh yeah_, he thought, how did she know she could handle him when she didn't even know him. Just wait until he got free, then she'd see if she could handle him. He watched her press something that was on a chain around her neck, then he felt the devices on him vibrate and suddenly come apart.

"Get up," she told him.

Sheppard pretended to have difficulty in getting up. She resorted to grabbing his arm to help pull him up. He made sure he stumbled in to her, which caused her to glare at him. He gave her a roguish smile, the one that seemed to charm everyone, he wasn't sure if his charm had worked with her though, she didn't show any reaction.

With the manacles around his wrists and feet uncoupled he found that he could walk quite easy. He decided to take a chance and run. He didn't get very far, the devices on his wrists and ankles suddenly locked together, causing him to go crashing to the ground.

"Satisfied, or do you want to try another method of escape," the woman asked with a blasé tone of voice.

He rolled over onto his back and looked up at her. "What other method would you suggest I try?" he asked perversely.

She pressed the device around her neck and the devices separated again. "Any you can think of. I'll just sit over here and wait until you've tried them all," she said. She moved back and sat down beneath a tree to wait for him.

Sheppard glared at her, _bitch. _What the hell did she expect him to do, walk meekly behind her?

She took her gun out of its holster and held it out to him. "Would you like to try the gun, see if you can shoot your way to escaping?" she asked.

He was slightly taken back by her gesture, but then he thought about it and realised she was doing this for a purpose. She wanted to teach him how far he could, and could not, go while he was wearing these damn devices around his hands and feet.

"I'll give you the run down before you go killing yourself," she said. "The devices you're wearing are designed to keep you under control..." she told him.

Sheppard couldn't stop the sarcastic remark. "You don't need to keep me under control, I'm fully house trained." he said, smiling sweetly.

"Any sudden movements and the devices will lock. Pick a weapon up and you'll receive a jolt of pain. The longer you hold on to the weapon, the more intense the pain will become. Get too far away from me or Lucas and you'll get another jolt of pain—"

Sheppard butt in again. "So what you're telling me is if I do anything other than walk, I'll get zapped."

"Yes, now if you'll let me finish. This thing around my neck," she touched the chain around her neck, "Is the controller for the devices. It is calibrated to my DNA and life signs, and so is Lucas'. That means if it is removed from me, or if I die…then you die," she told him.

"Meaning if I accidentally kill you or your friend, I'll be killing myself. Exactly how does that work, by the way?"

"Lucas, we're ready to go now," she shouted to the man.

"Where did you say we were going?" Sheppard asked casually, wondering if she'd tell him.

"I didn't say." She smiled at Sheppard frustrated look and pushed him in the direction of the Stargate.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date: **30th June 2007  
**Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter: **2/10**  
Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **Not sure yet (Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **None**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and its character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape…or persuade…his 'rescuers', not to hand him over to face retribution from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 2

"Carson, how are they?" Weir asked Beckett as he checked through Ronon's test results.

"Rodney and Teyla appear to be unharmed, apart from a few cuts and abrasions that is. What's concerning me about them though is their unconscious state. It's not natural. I suspect it's chemically induced, so I've begun running a few tests to confirm that."

"You think they were drugged."

"Most definitely."

"What about Ronon, how is he?" Weir looked over at Ronon who was being attended to by two nurses.

"All our tests have come back negative, so there doesn't appear to be any internal bleeding, which is a good sign. His ribs are badly bruised and he has a couple of fractures to his hand, contusions to his face, concussion, and a very nasty bump on his head. He also appears to be drugged like Rodney and Teyla."

"Will he be alright?"

"He should be fine; we'll keep monitoring him to make sure everything is OK."

"As soon as Rodney or Teyla are conscious and able to talk, would you let me know? I really need to find out what happened, and if they have any idea as to where Colonel Sheppard could be."

"Aye, I'll do that. So Lorne still hasn't found anything?"

"No, Lorne wasn't able to find any sign that Sheppard was even there." She sighed.

"Colonel Sheppard will probably be alright. You know him, he's a bit like a cat, always lands on his feet no matter what," Carson said, trying to ease the worry from Weirs mind.

"Let's hope so," Weird said.

**OOo**

Sheppard was sent crashing to the ground again; he'd lost count of how many times he'd fallen. He started shouting and cursing. He looked at the woman standing over him trying hard not to smile.

"I think you're calibration on these things is too sensitive," he snapped, glaring at her.

She turned away from him so he wouldn't see the grin on her face. "You'll get used to it," she said.

"What planet is this then?" he asked, as the devices on him separated, allowing him to get up. He began walking, slowly. She wasn't very talkative, so he hadn't been able to get much information out of her

"You still haven't told me what you want with me?" he said. "Why did you save me from those men only to take me prisoner? And why did you only take me and not the rest of my team?" Not that he wanted his team captured, but he was interested as to why only he was taken…and what they were going to do with him.

When she didn't answer his questions, he decided see how far he could push her. Getting to know your captors was a good start in planning an escape. Anything, and everything, that he could learn about them could be beneficial in his getting away from them.

"So is this how you normally get a date?" he asked. "You know you only had to ask me. I mean, you're not that bad looking, I could make the effort and pretend that I found you attractive." He waffled on with annoying, incessant, inane, chatter.

"Lucas, I need a break," she shouted out. Sheppard grinned broadly, knowing he was the reason she needed a break. She was finding it hard to listen to him talking about his life.

"Just when I thought we were getting along so well," he remarked, trying to look hurt but failing miserably.

Nisha looked at him coldly, and wondered where all this charm of his was supposed to be. So far the only thing she'd seen was arrogance, but having said that though, she couldn't blame him, they were holding him captive.

"Is there a problem?" Lucas asked. He glanced at Sheppard and wondered what the man had been doing to have Nisha glaring so furiously at him. Normally she was very easy to get along with.

"You can keep an eye on him for a while," she told him as she stormed off.

She couldn't take any more. She didn't want to know who his friends where, or what he liked to eat. She didn't want to know anything at all about him, because the more she learned about him, the harder it would be when the time came to hand him over.

The rest of the day went well and they made good progress. They only stopped when they found a good place to settle down for the night. Nisha kept her distance from Sheppard, preferring not to listen to his life story, which he seemed determined to tell anyone who was within hearing distance. She took the first watch and left Lucas with their annoying prisoner. When the time came to swap with Lucas, she found the talking.

"Do you have any family?" she heard Sheppard asking Lucas, and she tensed, waiting to see what Lucas would reply with.

"Yes I have family," Lucas said, his voice was low and harsh.

"Any kids?" Sheppard continued with the questions. He'd been taught that if you made a bond with your captors, then it made it harder for them to kill you. Talk to them. Get to know everything you can about them. Give them your own life story; the more they learned about you the better your chances of survival. So Sheppard was trying this technique, he just hoped it worked.

Lucas clenched his jaw before he said, "Yes!" Then he stood up and walked away.

She moved to intercept Lucas before he stormed off. She began talking to him in low tones, but it was obvious from the facial expressions and arm waving that the guy was angry. When she put her arms around Lucas and hugged him, Sheppard frowned, wondering what their relationship was. They hadn't acted like they were intimately involved with each other. He hoped they weren't a couple, because if they were, then his plan to persuade her to let him go would be a waste of time.

Sheppard looked at the metal bands around his wrists and ankles; he'd been studying them a lot, trying to figure out a way to remove them. So far he'd had no luck. He was considering testing his pain threshold with these things when he heard Lucas mention a name that made his whole body tense.

Lucas left to take over the next watch and the woman came over to keep a watch on him.

"Did I just hear the name Kolya mentioned?" he asked. She said nothing. "You're going to turn me over to Kolya's relatives!" he said with disbelief. Was he never going to get away from that guy?

"You do know they'll kill me don't you?" he said. She looked at him and he could swear he saw something akin to regret in her eyes. "Whatever they're paying you, my people will give you more," he said, hoping he could buy his way out of this. "Money…food…weapons…anything you want we can negotiate," he told her.

"Sorry, I can't."

Sheppard bit his lip as he tried to stem the curses he wanted to throw at her. She sat down a short distance from him and wouldn't look at him. He was not about to let this go. "Look, anything you want, just tell me and I'll get it for you," he told her.

"You're offer doesn't interest me, because you can't give me what I want."

"You're sure about that," he asked, wondering why she was so convinced.

"Positive. You're offers are a waste of time so you might as well save your breath."

He didn't see it as a waste of time and tried to find out exactly what it was she wanted. She wouldn't even look at him let alone acknowledge him, so he decided to try another way. After all, he had nothing to lose and everything to gain.

He acted casual as he moved towards her, glancing around to make sure Lucas wasn't watching. When he was a few feet away from her, he raised his hand and grabbed her. His movement wasn't rushed or jerked, so the devices on him didn't lock. All the falling over he'd done was paying off, because he'd learned to time his movements so the things wouldn't lock.

With his hand pressing against her throat, he pushed her back until she was lying on the ground. "Take these damn things off me, now!" he bit out. She looked nervous and glanced to the side, looking to see where Lucas was.

"Take them off!" he repeated the demand and pressed harder on her neck.

"I can't," she told him, her voice hoarse with the pressure he was exerting on her throat.

"I don't believe you; now take them off," he snarled.

"You need both controllers to get them off," she told him.

He didn't know if she was telling the truth or not. He moved his other hand towards the controller around her neck and hesitated, wondering what would happen if he touched it. He clenched his fist with frustration, but he moved his hand closer. He touched the controller with one finger and received a jolt of pain that radiated through the devices. The energy coursed through his whole body and almost knocked back but he managed to keep hold of her.

"Damn you," he grated harshly, glaring at her. He held her gaze for an inordinate length of time before he crushed his mouth down on hers. The kiss was born out of anger and frustration at his predicament, and was meant to punish. He pushed his tongue between her lips and felt her tongue against his own. She struggled against him, but he didn't release her, instead he carried on kissing her.

Abruptly, he pulled away and rolled on to his back, drawing in deep gulps of air into his oxygen starved lungs. He turned his head to the side to see that she was also breathing raggedly. She turned to glare at him, but he could see confusion in her eyes.

"Nisha, is everything alright?" Lucas asked as he came over to them. He looked down at them, taking in how close to they were to each other.

"Everything is fine," she told him, she sat up and moved further away from Sheppard, all the while keeping her eyes on him.

What did she expect him to do for god's sake, he was a prisoner. Of course he was going to try to escape. Especially since he'd just found out that he was to be handed over to Kolya's relatives. Why hadn't she told Lucas what he'd done?

"I suggest you get some sleep, we'll have to get moving in a few hours," Lucas remarked to her.

"I will." She continued to stare at Sheppard.

Sheppard rubbed his hand which was still tingling from the jolt of pain he'd received earlier. He still wasn't sure about the amount of pain that thing gave, it had hurt, yes, but he could put up with a lot of pain, especially when the alternative was death. He didn't know how long she watched him for because he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

The next morning when he woke up it was to see her and Lucas packing their stuff up. He watched her take a gun out of her backpack and replace what must be the ammo clip. He noticed that the clip held darts in them, not bullets. So that's why he hadn't been able to hear anything when she and Lucas had fired upon the men, she'd been using darts. Did this mean she didn't like to kill, he wondered. And if so, how could she turn him over to people who would definitely kill him. This could be a weakness he could exploit. All he had to do was find a way to persuade her to let him go.

**OOo**

**ATLANTIS**

"Rodney, Teyla, how are you both?" Doctor Weir asked them as they entered her office.

"I am fine, just a few bruises." Teyla said, sitting down at the table.

Weir looked at Rodney and waited for him to give her a blow by blow account of what was wrong with him, surprisingly, it didn't happen.

"Can either of you tell me what happened?" she asked.

Rodney's silence didn't last long. "As usual you can blame Sheppard," McKay said. "He saw a young girl crying, and like the charming man that he is, he decided to find out why she was crying—" He looked at Teyla when she interrupted him.

"She wasn't just crying Rodney, she had also been beaten. We could not just leave her there," Teyla said, exasperated by McKay's explanation.

"Yes, well, we didn't just walk passed her, did we. We picked her up, fed her, watered her, and listened to her life story... which I might add—"

This time it was Weir who interrupted him. She raised her hand up to stop him talking. "Thank you Rodney," she said, smiling when he folded his arms and gave a petulant pout. She turned to Teyla. "Please, finish the story."

"The man who the girl belonged to, didn't like the way we treatment her. He got a little angry and attacked us. Then he decided he wanted us dead, to deter anyone else who thought they could interfere with his _property_. Just when the leader was about to shoot Colonel Sheppard, two people came in to the camp and shot everyone, even us. After that I'm afraid I don't remember anything," Teyla told her.

"Doctor Beckett said you all appear to have been shot with a dart gun. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to locate Colonel Sheppard yet. Is there anything you can recall about these two people, did you see their faces?"

"No, I am sorry, everything happened so quickly," Teyla sighed.

"Well, I have Major Lorne looking in to a few things. He's with a couple of our contacts, trying to see if he can find out if anyone knows where Colonel Sheppard is, or who these two people where. I just hope Colonel Sheppard is alright."

**OOo**

Sheppard saw another opportunity and decided to go for it. He slowed his walking right down until he was just a few feet in front of her. He turned to check where she was before he bent down and pretended to look at his foot. As she drew up beside him he palmed her gun from its holster on her thigh.

She had told him that if he held a weapon he would be zapped, and the longer he held on to it, the worse the pain would get. He wanted to know just how intense the pain was, so he kept hold of the gun…

"Drop it, now," Lucas told him, pointing his gun at Sheppard.

Sheppard let the weapon go; he had been in the process of dropping it anyway, because the pain had become unbearable. He dropped to his knees as his body shook with the residual after effects from the energy that had surged through his system.

"I told you to keep a close watch on him, didn't I?" Lucas shouted at Nisha.

"I forgot..." she shouted back.

"You can't forget. We can't afford for him to get away…not now," Lucas told her.

"I'm not used to holding _people_ prisoner. I deal with…_things…_inanimate objects that don't pose a threat to your life," she remarked angrily.

"The people you steal those objects from pose a threat, and you do fine with them. Now keep your mind focused on watching him. And don't let him get too close to you," he bit out.

"I didn't want this deal in the first place," Nisha told him.

"Neither did I, but there's nothing we can do now. It's gone too far."

Sheppard listened to the conversation that went on between them, the part he liked the most was that neither of them had wanted to do this job. He could definitely do something with that knowledge, he thought. He was already coming up with a plan to get himself out of this predicament.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date: **6th July 2007**  
Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter: **3/10**  
Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **Not sure yet (Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **Irresponsible**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 3

"Any information you can give us would be helpful. And I'm sure, that Doctor Weir, would be very generous to anyone who supplied us with any leads, that could help us in finding Colonel Sheppard." Lorne, said to the man, sitting across the table from him.

Lorne, noticed the change in the man, as soon as he mentioned Doctor Weir's generosity.

"Well, I did hear something about a deal..." the man said hesitantly. His kept looking towards the door making sure that no one was listening.

"What deal?" Lorne asked.

"Somebody wanted Colonel Sheppard delivered to them, and they were prepared to pay a lot of money for him." he told Lorne.

"Do you have a name for these people. Or where they are?" Lorne asked him, hoping that the man would be able to tell him.

"The name's Kolya, but I don't know where they are."

"Kolya, you're sure about that." Lorne asked, if Sheppard had been turned over to Kolya's relatives... Lorne sighed, they'd definitely kill Colonel Sheppard if they got their hands on him. He just hoped that he hadn't been handed over yet.

"Yes, the name was definitely Kolya."

"Do you know who actually took Colonel Sheppard. We know there were two people, I just wondered if you had any ideas as to who took the deal?" Lorne, asked him.

"I heard Toryn took the deal."

"Do you know where we can find this guy?" Lorne asked hopefully.

"Tanisha Toryn, it's a woman not a man. She and her cousin were around here a few days ago."

Lorne got as much information on Tanisha, and Lucas, Toryn as he could get.

"Thank you, I'll let Doctor Weir know how helpful you've been. We'll settle up with you later, when we've confirmed your information. Right now I need to get back and inform her of the facts." Lorne told him, he left the village and returned to Atlantis. He didn't think Weir was going to like what he had to tell her.

**ooooo**

In Weir's office Lorne gave her the details that he'd managed to get, concerning Colonel Sheppard.

"You're sure it was Kolya?" Weir asked Lorne.

"Yes, he was pretty certain on the name." Lorne told her, "So what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"I think you should pay a little visit to Ladon Radim, see what information we can get from him. I'm sure he'd know where Kolya's relatives are, or at least have an idea where we can find them." Weir told him.

"What about this Tanisha Toryn, what do you want me to do about her?" he asked.

"For the moment nothing, if they're taking Colonel Sheppard to Kolya's relatives, then we need to find out where that is. And try to intercept them before they hand him over."

"I'll get right on it then." Lorne said, and left the room.

Weir just hoped that they had time to intervene before Sheppard was actually handed over.

**ooooo**

They'd been walking for hours, on a narrow pathway, through the densely wooded area. Sheppard decided to stall, he needed more time to come up with a plan.

"Any chance we could have a rest?" Sheppard asked, turning his head around to look at her.

"Lucas, we need somewhere to take a break." she shouted up ahead.

They found somewhere to rest, and Sheppard parked himself down on the floor with his back against a fallen log.

"Any chance of some water." Sheppard asked. She threw over her water flask, and something that looked like bread, for him to eat.

"Is this what you do, kidnap people?" he asked her, he saw her tense at the question, he'd hit a nerve, and he smiled.

"No this is not what I do."

"Then what do you do?" he asked, wondering if she'd tell him. His eyes were drawn to her breasts, she taken her jacket off, and the top she wore, clung to every feminine curve on her body like a second skin.

"I locate and retrieve items that have been stolen from people." she told him, it didn't matter if he knew what she did.

"You mean you're a thief." he said, watching her take a drink, she arched her head back, exposing her throat, he found himself wanting to press his mouth against her neck. He knew if he didn't stop thinking like this, his body would react.

"No, I am not a thief, I don't steal things, I retrieve them. Then I return them to the people they belong to."

"That's still makes you a thief." he said, noticing that she didn't like being called a thief.

"How come they hired a thief to kidnap me." he asked, emphasising the word thief.

"They didn't hire me." she bit out. He smiled, he was learning how to push her buttons.

"If they didn't hire you, then why are you holding me prisoner?" He could see she was having trouble answering him.

"Everything Alright?" Lucas asked, as he came over and sat down.

"Yes." Nisha answered.

Lucas looked at Sheppard, he'd found himself wondering what kind of man he was. And he was curious as to what he'd done to inspire such hatred from the Kolya's. And why they'd offered so much for him.

"What did you do to the Kolya family, that would make them want you so bad." Lucas asked, wanting to know the reason he and Nisha were dragged in to this thing.

Sheppard didn't know if he should tell them or not, but, by the sound of it, they didn't know anything about Kolya, so he had nothing to lose by telling the truth.

"I killed a relative of theirs." he finally told him.

"Why did you kill him?" Lucas asked.

"Because he would have killed me if I hadn't." Sheppard told him, then decided to ask a question of his own.

"Why did you take this deal, if you didn't want to?" he asked Lucas.

"We'd better be moving." Lucas said, ignoring Sheppard's question, he got up and left.

There was something about this deal that didn't seem right, neither of them wanted it, so why had they taken it on.

**ooooo**

As usual Lucas was in front, so far ahead that Sheppard couldn't see him, the guy seemed real eager to get where they were going. Sheppard thought. Well he wasn't eager, so he took his time, besides, these things on him, prevented him from walking any faster. He glanced round and saw Nisha behind him, she looked at him warily, as if she were just waiting for him to try something, he smiled and turned back. He'd been trying to come up with a way of getting these things off him, but so far he'd had no luck.

He saw a small lizard like animal, about the size of a pet cat, it was sitting on a tree branch, positioned about chest height. He didn't take much notice of it, he often saw strange looking animals, so long as they stayed where they were, he left them alone.

As he passed this one though, he saw it open it's mouth, he turned to look at it, see what it was doing. It wasn't looking at him, it was looking at Nisha, who was coming up behind him. She didn't appear to notice it, but as she got closer he saw it hunching down as if it were getting ready to strike.

"Watch it!" he shouted as he grabbed her to pull her out of the way.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nisha asked startled, she was surprised by his sudden lunge at her.

But because he'd moved too quickly he caused the devices to activate, he had no choice as the magnetic pull on his wrists, and ankles, brought the devices together and locked them. Unfortunately for Nisha, the magnetic pull had drawn his hands around her, locking the devices, behind her back, and sending the both of them crashing to the floor.

"You were about to be bitten." he told her, nodding his head towards the creature, which was slowly walking towards them. Nisha, who was trying to get her arms free, turned her head to look.

"Oh, god, no..."

"What is it?" he asked, she looked very nervous as she watched the creature.

"You have to keep still, if it bites you, you're dead." was all she said.

Keep still, that's all he had to do, he gave a silent groan, he wasn't sure if he could keep still. His mind was starting to focus on the position he was now in. They were face to face, and he was half lying over her, his arms were wrapped around her back, where they had locked.

She was looking at the lacerta as it came closer, both of her arms were trapped against her body, but even if she could get them free, she didn't want to move in case she attracted it's attention. It was coming towards them, approaching from behind Sheppard's back. She turned her head slightly and saw him staring at her, his face only a few inches away from hers. She finally admitted to herself, that she found him attractive, and by the look in his eyes he found her attractive too.

She became, very aware, of every muscle in his body, she could feel his chest expanding with every breath he took. He kept shifting his body, as if trying to find a more comfortable position. He started to lower his face down, as if he were going to kiss her...

"Don't move." she whispered, almost pleaded, "Most people who are bitten by a lacerta, dies. So, please, keep still." she said, he stopped, his mouth, just an inch or two from hers.

The creature stopped right by them and stared, it's eyes looking for the slightest movement, it's head lifted as it scented the air around it. Sheppard, held his breath as the creature stood right in front of his face. Nisha fought the urge to move, knowing it was too dangerous. Then it turned its head away, it took a few steps away from them, and Nisha thought it had given up.

Sheppard watched it turn away and take a few steps, Nisha moved her head slightly, and the creature quickly turned and jumped towards them. He pulled her over and rolled back, away from where the creature was. He kept on rolling till he felt there was enough distance between them and the creature. He looked over at it, to see what it was doing, but it was just standing there, then it vanished in to the undergrowth.

"We must have been too close to its nest." Nisha said grimacing, as she saw the lacerta vanish in to the foliage. She turned to look at Sheppard and found him staring at her.

"Yes, too close." Sheppard whispered hoarsely, not even thinking about the creature. His only thoughts where on how close he was to her. He'd only managed to resist kissing her before because of that creature, now that it was gone, there was no reason for him to resist.

As soon as he saw her licking her lips, that was it, he lowered his head down and started kissing her, enticing her to open and let him in. He groaned, when she opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to enter and taste her, he took what she offered, hungrily.

With his hands trapped beneath her back, and his body lying over hers, pressed intimately against her from shoulder to ankle, he couldn't stop his body from reacting to the situation. It didn't help any, when she lifted her leg up and pressed her thigh against his hip. He naturally pressed his arousal against her, the moan, she gave, told him that she was just as aroused as he was.

She wasn't holding anything back, wasn't trying to stop him, he lifted his mouth from hers, to look at her, she raised her head up, and kissed him. The kissing would have lasted much longer, but for the fact that they needed to breathe. Then when he asked her to unlock his hands, she suddenly, became aware of where they were, and what they were doing.

She glared at him, and started trying to get her hands free, he lifted his body up, so she could do this. He shuddered, as her hand brushed closely against his groin.

She pulled her arm free and touched the controller, which was underneath her top. He felt the devices unlock, and pulled his hands from beneath her back, he rolled off her and stood up. He reached his hand down to help her up, but she just ignored his hand and glared at him.

"You stay away from me." she told him, standing up she moved away from him.

"Tell me how I'm supposed to stay away from you, while I'm wearing these things?" he asked, holding his wrists out towards her. He didn't know why she was upset, maybe it was some kind of delayed shock, at nearly being bit by that creature.

"Maybe if you took them off me." he asked hopefully.

"What the hell is keeping you?" Lucas shouted as he came striding towards them.

"We had a problem with a lacerta." she told him quickly.

"Did it bite you?" he asked, looking her over to see if he could see any bite marks.

"No, we're Alright."

"Can we get going then, and stop wasting time." Lucas barked, he just wanted to hand this guy over and go home.

Lucas didn't wait around for any explanations, he just went back to checking the area up ahead. When he was out of hearing distance, Sheppard glanced at her.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked, still curious as to why she was still glaring at him.

"Just keep your hands to yourself." she told him, brushing bits of grass and dirt off her.

"Sure, next time I'll let you get bitten." he told her angrily.

"You do that." she said. He knew she wasn't talking about the creature, she was upset over the kiss. He didn't know why, she'd been kissing him back just as eagerly.

"Is there a problem, I mean, you certainly weren't fighting me off back there. In fact you were..."

"Shut up."

"Sorry, I have no intention of shutting up, just to please you." he bit out.

"No you just please yourself."

"How would you know what I do, you don't even know me."

Nisha bit back a retort, he was getting to her, and she couldn't do anything about it. She was having doubts about her ability to hand him over when the time came, which was something she didn't have a choice in. She was getting angry at him and herself, because she was feeling so guilty.

**ooooo**

For the next few hours they hardly spoke, then when it was dark they made camp and settled down.

"So how long is it before we reach the Kolya's?" he asked.

"Two days." Nisha told him.

Two days, that's all he had to find a way out of these damn cuff things and escape. He'd have to increase his efforts on Nisha, he could tell he was getting to her. The guilt was in her eyes, every time he mentioned the fact that she was handing him over to be killed. And to make sure she didn't forget that little fact, he brought it up at every opportunity.

He settled down, and closed his eyes, a short while later he heard them talking, they must have thought he was asleep.

"Do you think Joshua is Alright?" Lucas asked Nisha.

"Of course, why wouldn't he be."

"I can't help wondering if..."

"Lucas, he'll be fine, stop worrying." she told him.

"What about you?" Lucas asked her.

"What about me?"

"Are you going to have a problem handing him over, knowing that they'll kill him?"

"Yes, I have a problem, I've never been responsible for someone's death before. But I also know I don't have a choice."

"This is all my fault, if I hadn't been indebted to Collins. The Kolya's wouldn't have been able to buy the debt off him." Lucas said, anguished.

"It's not your fault. If I'd taken the deal when they first offered it, they wouldn't have involved you." Nisha told him. "So stop thinking like that, and lets just get this finished with."

Sheppard was listening intently, from what he'd heard he concluded that Lucas had gotten in to debt. So when Nisha had turned the deal down, the Kolya's had taken Lucas' debt over, and forced her, and Lucas in to taking the deal anyway.

**ooooo**

It was about 2.00am in the morning when Sheppard woke up, he glanced around and saw Lucas asleep. Then he saw Nisha coming towards the fire, he smiled to himself, he'd come up with a devious little plan, which he hoped would work, but it relied on how guilty he could make Nisha feel. He decided now, was the perfect time to put his little plan in to action. He waited till she was sitting down, then he started to put his plan in to action.

"So when are you going to grant me my last request?" he asked.

"Grant you what?" Nisha asked.

"A last request." he said, she looked at him, with a puzzled expression on her face.

"A last request. What are you talking about?" she asked, warily. She didn't have a clue what he was going on about.

"When someone is going to die, or be killed, he's usually given a last wish." he told her, she still looked confused. "You know, you ask me what I'd like, I tell you, and then you grant it." he said, making it sound matter-of-factly.

"And what is your last request?" she asked, curious as to what he'd want.

"You."

"Me!" she said, not understanding him.

"Yes, I want you." he told her. It took a few seconds, before it dawned on her what he was talking about. Then he saw her face flushing, he wasn't sure if it was because she was embarrassed, or angry.

"You can't have me." she told him bluntly, her voice slightly raised. She quickly looked over to make sure Lucas was still sleeping.

"You're taking me to be killed and you won't grant me a last request." he continued, everything now depended on how guilty he could make her feel.

Nisha groaned inwardly, and wished he'd just shut up. Every sentence he uttered, seemed to contain a word, or phrase, with regards to him dying.

"So do I get my last request?" he asked, trying hard not to grin, broadly.

"Yes, but you can't have me."

"But that's the only thing I want."

"Pick something else. Something within reason, I mean were in the woods, there isn't a lot of choice."

"I don't want anything else. If I'm going to die, I at least want some pleasure before that happens." He could see her fighting with her conscience, she didn't want to give in, but her feelings of guilt were starting to overwhelming her. At least he hoped they were.

He sat back, and watched her, as she contemplated his request.

TBC...

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date:** 11th July 2007  
**Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter: **4/10**  
Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **Not sure yet (Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **Irresponsible**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:**Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 4

The day started with tensions all around, Lucas was eager to get this finished with as quickly as possible. Nisha was trying to cope with the knowledge that she would be responsible for Sheppard's death. And Sheppard was just trying to get himself out of this situation any way he could.

"So we don't reach this place till the day after tomorrow, right?" Sheppard asked.

"No, we'll reach it tomorrow afternoon." Nisha corrected him.

"Tomorrow afternoon! Yesterday, you said it would take two days." he stopped and turned around, Nisha backed up, she didn't like the look he was throwing at her. She looked to see where Lucas was, she relaxed when she saw him just ahead.

"Well today and tomorrow is two days." she pointed out.

"A day and a half to be precise." he corrected her.

"It's not like you have anywhere else to go, is it." Nisha pointed out.

She had her hand resting on her dart gun, ready to use it if he tried anything. She was getting a little anxious at the way he was glaring at her, he looked like a predator that was ready to pounce, and she was feeling a lot like his prey.

"Actually I do have some where else to go, but with these things on me, it's proving a little difficult to get there."

"Very funny." Nisha retorted. "Now if you don't get moving, Lucas will probably just shoot you with the dart gun, and carry you the rest of the way."

"You think he could." he asked.

"Could what?"

"Carry me all that way?"

"Oh, yes, definitely, especially when you consider what his reward will be." she said, causing him to frown. He wondered what the hell was worth more than a man's life.

All day Sheppard was aware of Nisha watching him, but every time he turned to look at her, she'd turn away. He sighed, he was relying on Nisha to let him go, the problem was, she didn't look like she was going to be doing that any time soon.

**ooooo**

It was late afternoon when Sheppard noticed that the cloudless, blue, sky was beginning to darken, as huge black clouds rolled across it. The temperature dropped slightly, and the wind picked up. But they carried on walking, it wasn't until a few hours later that Lucas decided to stop for the night. And only then because a light rain had started to fall.

Nisha was still watching him, still looking away whenever he looked at her. Some of the looks she gave him were decidedly sensual, and they were almost like a physical caress, so much so that he found himself being turned on.

It was pretty dark and the rain was falling a little heavier than before, but they were well sheltered from the weather. It was around 10.00pm when Sheppard saw Nisha stand up, she picked up a blanket, then she walked away from the camp.

"Where are you going?" Lucas shouted after her.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." she shouted back. Sheppard wondered what she was up to, she'd hardly spoken a word all day.

The rain was coming down much heavier now, and in the distance Sheppard could see flashes of lightening, streaking across the dark sky.

Nisha had been gone for quite a while, and Sheppard looked at Lucas, to see if he looked worried, but he didn't. Then he heard the crunching of leaves and twigs and turned to see Nisha walking back, minus the blanket. She walked over to Lucas and began talking to him in low tones.

They seemed to be arguing, heatedly, over something, he wondered what it was. He saw Nisha grab another blanket and walk away from Lucas.

"What are you doing?" Lucas shouted, as Nisha moved away, he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"I told you, It's my decision." she retorted, pulling her arm free.

"I won't let you do it." he shouted at her.

"You can't stop me." her eyes were full of determination.

"Why are you doing this, you don't even know him?" he couldn't understand why she felt it necessary to go this far.

As soon as Sheppard heard Lucas say the last sentence, he had a sneaky suspicion that he knew what their argument was about.

"You don't have to do this." Lucas told her.

"I know, I told you, it's my decision."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing, he couldn't believe that she was going to let him make love to her. He may have asked, even insisted, that he wanted her, but he never for one moment thought she'd say yes. He'd done it to make her feel guilty, that was the angle he'd been playing on, hoping to make her feel so guilty, she'd let him go.

But hey, he wasn't about to turn down an offer of sex, he wasn't that noble, well, at least right now he wasn't. Besides this could be an opportunity to escape, probably the last one he'd get, considering that they would reach their destination tomorrow. And if they had sex, surely she wouldn't be able to hand him over to be killed.

She started to walk away from the camp, then she stopped and turned around to face Sheppard.

"Well, what are you waiting for. Don't you want your last request?" she asked him, she didn't wait for him to say anything she just turned back and walked away.

He threw a quick glance at Lucas, and found him glaring at him, he smiled to himself, then followed Nisha. He had to dodge beneath the trees to escape being drenched by the pouring rain.

She'd found a small grassy area, that was surrounded by dense foliage, and had several tall trees which provided cover from the heavy rainfall. He saw she'd already thrown a blanket down on the floor, then she dropped the other blanket, that she was carrying, on top of it. She turned to face him, her eyes staring right at him, then she spoke.

"Right, if you think this is just a chance for you to escape, I'll tell you now. The devices on you are still active, they will still lock, and still give you pain. The only thing that has changed is that they are less sensitive. And the controller that I am wearing won't zap you, if you touch it. But everything else still stands." she told him, making sure that he realised that the devices were not going to be removed.

He stood there and digested this little piece of information, so much for thinking that this might be a good opportunity to escape, he thought. Well, he wasn't about to give up, just because she said he couldn't escape. But while he waited for the chance, he might as well enjoy the moment.

He watched her as she pulled her boots off, his body began reacting to the knowledge of what they are going to do. When he saw her pulling her top up...

"What are you doing?" he asked, grabbing hold of her top before she pulled it over her head.

"You want sex, so I'm removing my clothes." she told him, bluntly.

"This is my request, so if I want your clothes removed, I'll do it myself." he saw her frown at him.

"So how long do we have for... er... this." he wanted to know if it was just going to be a straight forward one time, then back to Lucas.

"Until the morning."

"That long." He gulped, then coughed, his mind calculating how many hours he had to find a way to escape. But first, just in case the escape plan goes awry, he might as well take out an insurance policy, so to speak. So if he does this right, and his escape plan fails, she definitely won't be able to give him up, not once they've made love, he hoped not anyway..

As he stood in front of her, he saw she was a little nervous of this situation, so he started off kissing her gently. Pressing his lips over hers, moving them across her cheek and down to her neck, then finally back to her mouth.

He stroked his hands over her shoulders, down her arms, then back up again, trying to ease the tension he could see in her. He felt her shiver under his touch and continued to stroke his hands over her. Leaning down he kissed her more passionately. Deepening his kisses by thrusting his tongue in to her mouth. He felt her pulling her tongue away from his.

"Stick your tongue out." he said, pulling his head back to look at her.

"Why?"

"Just do it."

She stuck her tongue out and he leaned in and kissed her, stroking his tongue over hers, drawing it in to his own mouth. He was practically making love to her mouth with his lips and tongue. When he lifts his head up to look at her he saw her lips were lusciously full and slightly reddened from his passionate kissing.

"That's better." he muttered, liking the ravished look on her face.

He pulled her top off and then his own, moving back he looked at what he'd revealed. Her full firm breasts are just waiting for his touch, and he doesn't resist, he cupped them in his hands and bent down to kiss them. He became aware that she hadn't moved yet. Pulling his body back he looked at her.

"You can touch me, you know." he told her, wondering if she was shy, or if it was something else.

"You have done this before, haven't you?" he asked, as little shocked at the idea that she hadn't.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes, I have." she said. He smiled and took hold of her hands, placing them on his chest. chest.

"I won't bite, you know...," he whispered in her ear, "Well not unless you want me too." he added huskily, running his tongue over her ear.

The sudden streak of lightening across the sky, lit up the darkened wood, and the following crash of thunder made Nisha jerk, with it's loudness. Stroking his hands over her back, he pulled her towards him till her breasts were pressing against his chest. The feel of her skin against his is sensual and arousing. He can feel her nipples lightly scraping across his chest as he rubbed his body against hers.

She began moving her hands over his back in a stroking, caressing movement. All the time he continued to place teasing kisses over her face and neck. When he felt her hands cupping over his buttocks he groaned and pressed his erection against her stomach, while his body throbbing with pleasure.

Stripping the rest of her clothes, and his own, off, he watched her eyes shyly run over his naked body.

Pushing her down on to the blanket he moved to lay beside her. "So beautiful..." he murmured, moving his mouth over her breasts, "Delicious..." he said hoarsely, trailing wet kisses down her body. She hadn't said much, and he wondered if she was the silent type. Never mind, he thought, she wouldn't be silent for long, not when he started making love to her.

He nudged her legs apart and moved to kneel between them, his mouth moved caressingly over her stomach and down to her navel. When he reached her navel and moved lower, she suddenly sat upright.

"What are you doing?" she asked, him nervously.

He was just about to kiss her, intimately, but he raised his head up to look at her. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, he could see the confusion on her face.

"I thought you wanted sex." she asked hesitantly.

"I do, but first I want this." he said hoarsely.

"Want what?" she asked, puzzled by what he's doing.

Groaning, he rested his head on her stomach. Obviously she's not done this before, he realised, because she doesn't seem to know what he was intending to do. No matter, it wasn't going to stop him, he decided he'd just show her what she'd been missing, maybe it would even help her to make her mind up about letting him go.

"Lay back and I'll show you." he said, pushing his hand against her stomach, till she dropped back, her eyes still watching him.

Resting his arms against her inner thighs, he let his hands stroke against her heated core. Tracing his fingers along the delicate folds, he looked up to see her watching him. As soon as he lowered his head down and kissed her, her whole body tensed and she tried to pull her hips back, away from him.

He kept a firm grip on her, anchoring her down until he felt her hips relaxing. Glancing up, his eyes clashed with hers, he saw the desire there, saw that she liked it, but she was still unsure as to whether to let him continue.

He didn't wait for her to make the decision, he lowered his head down and stroked his tongue across her, intimately. With each stroke of his tongue her body trembled. He smiled when he heard low, muffled, cries coming from her as he delved more deeply in to her with his tongue. Not so quiet now, he thought.

He began stroking his fingers over her clitoris, making her buck her hips up at his tantalising touch. He liked the reactions he got from her, it was intoxicating, knowing that he's the first one to pleasure her like this. Each response he got from her, just heightened his own arousal, so much so, that he's painfully aware, of how aroused he was. His body throbbed harder in response to the muffled cries she gave.

As he slipped a finger inside her body, he felt her pushing her hips against his hand. She was almost at the pinnacle of pleasure and he wanted to push her over it. Lowering his mouth down, he flicked his tongue over her clitoris. She lost any control she'd been trying to hold on to at that point, her body convulsed with her climax. Her cries got so loud that he was convinced that Lucas would hear her. But he didn't stop as she writhed beneath his hands and mouth, he carried on stroking, caressing, until the tremors in her body stopped.

His arousal was throbbing painfully as he crawled up, over her body, letting his weight settle over her. He groaned as his erection jerked in response to the feel of being nestled against her stomach.

The rain became even heavier, so heavy it was like a curtain surrounding them, luckily, the trees kept most of the rain off them. Then the lightening forked across the sky, followed a few moments later by the rumbling sound of thunder, the thunder was so loud it seemed to shake the ground.

His senses became heightened, he wasn't sure if it was the thunderstorm that was raging overhead, or the knowledge that tomorrow he could die, but he'd never felt more alive than he did right now.

The cool breeze blowing across his heated skin, doesn't even register with him, he's too hot and aroused to even feel it. He caressed his hand along her thigh, lifting it up he hooked it over his hip. His arousal throbbed at the intimate contact with her. He slowly pressed his erection in, the warmth, and tightness, of her body surrounded his flesh, making him throb and pulsate almost uncontrollably. A few cool drops of rain splattered on to his skin and he shivered and arched his back, plunging his erection deeply. She wrapped both of her legs around him, and her heels dug in to the small of his back causing his shaft to slip just that little bit deeper.

Feeling so alive and so aroused, he pulled his hips back, withdrawing almost totally before driving back in to her. All he wanted at this precise moment was to feel. He doesn't care about anything else except the pleasure that he was feeling right now. The thunder and lightening raged and clashed all around them. He couldn't stop kissing her as she cried and sobbed with the force of his driving thrusts in to her. Her hands stroked and clenched over his back, her nails dug in painfully, as he filled her totally.

His orgasm rose with each thrust, as did Nisha's. He felt her pushing her hips up to meet each driving thrust. Her breathing quickened and he held on to her tightly as she cried out, her body writhing beneath him. His own climax was so close, and he strove for that last stroke which would cause him to explode and spill deeply within her.

Finding that last stroke he took it, the thunder and the lightening coincided with his explosive release, making him cry out at the shattering force of his orgasm. Ripples of pleasure snaked down the length of his spine, making him arch his back involuntary as his body trembled.

He sank down heavily against her, the tremors still rippling over his skin. After a long while he pulled away from her and laid beside her, pulling the extra blanket over the two of them. He fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her waist.

**ooooo**

Sheppard jerked awake and quickly looked at his watch, it was 1.30am in the morning and Nisha was fast asleep. Now would be a good time to see if he could do anything to escape. He untangled himself from Nisha and pulled his clothes on, then he slowly, and carefully, started walking away from her.

He took every step cautiously, expecting to feel pain with each step forward. He was feeling quite pleased with himself, that was until the pain suddenly hit, vibrating through his muscles, causing his whole body to tense and spasm, with pain.

Sinking down to the floor, he bit back the cry that was lodged in his throat, he didn't want to alert Nisha or Lucas as to what he was doing. He crawled back, inch by inch, until the pain suddenly ceased as quickly as it had started. He gasped for air, his body trembling with the aftermath of pain.

It's over half an hour before he regained any kind of equilibrium. He looked at Nisha, at the controller around her neck. She said it wouldn't zap him so he gingerly touched it, he was still expecting to feel pain from it, thankfully he didn't. Lifting it up he turned it over and looked at the symbols on it. He didn't have a clue as to what any of them meant, he let go of it.

He might as well join her seeing as he couldn't escape, he thought. He stripped his clothes off and laid beside her. She was practically lying on her stomach, so he snuggled up to her back and wrapped his arms around her, pushing his knee between her legs and resting his head on her back.

He couldn't resist kissing her shoulders and stroking his tongue along her spine. The feel of her body arching at the touch, made him smile. How easy it was to get a reaction out of her, whether it be through sex or through manipulating her mind. He liked it. Pulling her closer he settled down to sleep.

Nisha couldn't stop her response when she felt his tongue stroking over her skin. But he didn't realise that she was awake. She just laid there listening to him slip in to sleep, tears slowly fell down her cheeks. She knew he was counting on her to let him go, that he thought, making love to her would further her decision to release him. The tears fell harder, because she knew it didn't matter how much she would love to release him, she couldn't.

TBC...

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date:** 16th July 2007  
**Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter: **5/10**  
Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **Not sure yet (Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **Irresponsible**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 5

ATLANTIS

"Ronon, shouldn't you be in the infirmary?" Doctor Weir asked him, as he came strolling in to the room, he sat down in the seat next to Major Lorne.

"I've had much worse, and survived. A few bruises and a bang on the head isn't going to stop me." he tells her, looking at her as if daring her to contradict him.

"Fine." she said, looking at his heavily bandaged hand, and the bruises, and cuts, on his face.

"Major Lorne has just returned from his visit with Ladon. And we've managed to come up with some information on where the Kolya's might be. The only problem is, we have a choice of 4 planets, so we need to decide which planet is the most promising." she told him.

"Can't you send teams to each planet." Ronon asked.

"We only have two teams available, all the others are off world. So we have to make a decision as to which planets we are going to visit first."

Just then Rodney and Teyla entered the room.

"Rodney, Teyla, glad you could make it." she said, motioning them to sit down.

She explained what information they had managed to obtain, and what they intended to do.

"Teyla, I was wondering if you had any information to add. The 4 planets that Ladon supplied us with, have you ever been to any of them." Weir asked her.

Teyla looked at the address and nodded.

"Yes I have been to this one." she told her, "I think it highly unlikely that the Kolya's would be there. The planets environment is pretty hostile for humans." Teyla told her.

"Thank you Teyla, we'll cross that one off for now and concentrate our efforts on the other three."

"I could visit one of the planets on my own." Ronon suddenly announced.

"No! Thank you Ronon, but that won't be necessary, we'll see what we can do with the two teams we have."

Ronon accepted Doctor Weir's answer, but he wasn't happy about it. He wanted to go and search for Sheppard, now, and not have to wait around till they came up with a plan. The longer they took, meant it was more than likely Sheppard would be dead before they found him. If that happened, Ronon swore he'd make Toryn pay for it.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

It's very early morning when Nisha wakes up, to find out that her 'pillow' is breathing. She opens her eyes and sees that she's snuggled up to Sheppard, with her head on his shoulder. Feeling a little reluctant to move, in case she wakes him up, she stays where she is, and, if she's truthful, she's enjoying the feeling of being so close to him.

She can't resist, lightly stroking her hand across his chest, the sprinkling of hair there, tickles the palm of her hand. Turning her head she presses her lips against his warm skin then she rests her arm across his chest and snuggles down, and tries to sleep.

But sleep eludes her as her mind keeps replaying each and every intimate touch and caress. She can feel herself blushing as she remembers what he did to her and how she reacted. She rolled on to her back, and the cool morning air made her shiver, as the blanket stayed wrapped around Sheppard's body.

"Now look what you've done, you've let all the cold air in." Sheppard groaned, making her jump, nervously, because she hadn't realized that he was awake.

She was just going to get up when he rolled over resting his body over hers.

"Never mind, I can keep you warmer than a blanket anyway." he murmured against her ear, his breath and lips tickling her skin.

"We can't..." she tried to say that they couldn't do this, but he kissed her before she got a chance to finish. When he lifted his head up, she was breathless. "So is my last request over now, or do I still have some time left?" he asked, hoarsely, as desire flared through his body. She didn't know what to say, so when she didn't answer he carried on kissing, touching, and caressing her.

Nisha had never been with anyone like Sheppard before, someone who enjoyed giving pleasure as much as receiving it. And she found it overwhelming, she stroked her hands over his back and felt the muscles contracting under her touch. As he kissed her mouth and face, she turned her head to the side to give him access to her neck, where he began biting and sucking on the delicate flesh.

He stroked his hand over her breast, then he started gently, flicking his fingers tips across her nipple, and Nisha gasped, and pressed her hips against him, as the pleasure spiraled down to concentrate between her thighs.

Sheppard moved his body slightly, and when he was positioned just so, he entered her. The pleasure built so quickly it wasn't long before Nisha found herself on the edge.

"Nisha! We'll have to get moving soon." Lucas' voice rang out in the distance.

Nisha groaned, as Sheppard's pace faltered, slightly, at the interruption, but he soon got back in to it.

"Nisha?" Lucas shouted again.

"Yes..." she bit out, her voice catching, due to Sheppard driving deeply and hitting a very sensitive spot.

"Was that for me or him?" he asked, smiling, as she tried to stop the cries, she was making, from being heard.

"Well hurry up." Lucas shouted back.

"Alright...ah..." she cried out as Sheppard deliberately thrust in to her, and fastened his mouth on her breast, and began sucking, hard on her nipple.

"If we don't...Lucas will come over..." she tried to tell him that, if he didn't stop, Lucas would come and see if she was alright. But she didn't get the chance to say all of the sentence, as Sheppard quickened his thrusts. A few moments later and both of them were moaning and shuddering as they climaxed.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

As Nisha and Sheppard walked back in to the camp, Lucas looked at them, his eyes not missing the fact that Nisha's mouth looked very full and red, from Sheppard's passionate kissing.

"We need to get moving." Lucas told her, he turned his back to her and started to walk along the path.

"What's his problem. Why is he in such a rush, do you have a time limit or something?" Sheppard asked her.

"He just wants his..." Nisha almost told him, but stopped before she did.

"Wants his what?" Sheppard asked, "Reward! Is he that desperate for it?"

"Yes, he is." Nisha answered quietly.

Sheppard, was getting that suspicious feeling, that she wasn't gonna let him go free, any time soon. He watched, as she began stuffing things in to her backpack.

"You're still going to hand me over?" he asks her, he knew what her answer was, as soon as she glanced at him.

"I told you..." she tried to speak but he butt in.

"You're really gonna go through with it. Even after what we did last night, and this morning?" Sheppard asked, his voice hoarse with emotion, he can't believe she can do it, not after last night.

"Yes." she bit out, reluctantly. She put her head down, and kept pushing things in to her backpack.

"You could let me go?"

"I wish I could let you go." she said, her voice breaking slightly.

"What's stopping you?" he wants to know, he can hear the stress in her voice. He knows she likes him, he just doesn't understand why she won't, or can't, let him go.

"Please don't do this." she asks him, just barely keeping the tears at bay.

"Now those are the exact same words that I've used on you." he said sarcastically " 'Please don't do this'. But, hey, you're still going to do it." he laughed

"You don't understand... I... "

"Oh I think I understand Alright." he bit out. "You're just a cold, heartless, bitch. Someone who cares more for a stupid reward, than she does for a human life." he said harshly, and watched her flinch at his words.

He walked away, and followed Lucas, he really didn't want to look at her right now, he was so sure she'd let him go. Maybe he should stop falling for every pretty face he saw and start ignoring them.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

They walked for a while without saying anything, then Sheppard broke the silence. He thought he'd try one more time to get it through to her, just how serious this situation was. And how it would turn out if, or when, she turned him over.

"I Just want to make things clear, they will torture me, and they will kill me. But I guess you don't care about that, do you." he said, and saw her step falter. "This reward means more you, than my life."

Nisha couldn't say anything to defend herself, because what he was saying, was the truth, to him. The reward did mean more to her than he did, but only fractionally. But he was wrong about her not caring what happened to him, she did care, a great deal. She knew whatever happened to him, would haunt her for the rest of her life. When she didn't respond to him, he snorted in disgust and walked ahead of her.

When they reached a certain point, Lucas stopped and turned around to face Nisha.

"It's up to you now." he told her.

Sheppard saw Lucas doing something to the controller, that he had on a chain around his neck, just like Nisha.

"Carry on walking." Nisha told him, pushing her hand against his back.

"Isn't Lucas coming?" he asked, when he saw him sit down, while they carried on.

"No, just you and me." she told him.

"Oh, how cozy." Sheppard remarked sarcastically, and wondered if this was his opportunity to escape. It was obvious now what Lucas had been doing with his controller, he had been disengaging his controller's connection to the devices. He was just looking for the right place to grab her, then he could force her to remove these devices from him.

The hairs on his neck bristled as he became aware of several men hidden in the trees watching them.

"Do you realize were being watched?" he asked her quietly.

"Yes, they belong to Sergio Kolya, he told us he was increasing his security."

"Why did he tell you he was increasing his security. Surely not for me." Sheppard asked.

"No, for me." she said.

"For you. Why?" he was curious.

"So that I wouldn't attempt to...steal, something back." she said, cryptically.

"You're that good a thief?"

"Yes, I am."

"So what is it you would have stolen back?" he asked, curiously.

"Nothing." she wouldn't tell him.

"Fine, don't tell me." he bit out angrily.

"How far is it now?" he asked, a few moments later.

"About ten minutes."

Ten minutes, that's all he had, and then she'd turn him over, to face, god knows what. He wasn't going to let her get away that easy, he'd make sure she remembered what she'd done.

"How about one last kiss then... you know... before I die." he said sarcastically, laughing at the insanity of it all.

She glanced at him, quickly, and he saw the tears running down her cheeks. He really couldn't understand what the hell was going on with her.

Through the trees, he could just make out a building in the distance, obviously it was their destination.

"Aren't you going to kiss me then?" he asked perversely.

She stopped suddenly and turned to face him, the she moved till she was right in front of him. He wasn't immune to her tears, but she wasn't about to die, he was.

She pressed her mouth to his, and kissed him, fleetingly, as she pulled back he grabbed her.

"I wouldn't call that a kiss." he told her roughly.

He crushed his mouth over hers, one hand against the middle of her back which he used to pull her as close as he could get her. His other hand was pressing against the back of her head, as he crushed her mouth beneath his. He wanted to feel the kiss, pleasure, or pain, he didn't care which, just so long as he felt something, anything that indicated that he was still alive.

Nisha was pushing her hands against his chest, he pulled his head up just long enough for her to take a gasp of air in to her lungs. Then he crushed his mouth down again, he wasn't finished yet, he wanted more, much more. He wanted to make sure she remembered...

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

As they got closer to the house, Sheppard could see a number of men, waiting up ahead. One man in particular stood out, his resemblance to Acastus Kolya unmistakable. Sheppard grimaced, he really hated the name Kolya, and wondered if he'd ever get away from it.

"Who's that guy. The one standing in the front?" Sheppard asked her. The guy was very stocky and probably in his early to mid 50's, Sheppard calculated.

"That's Sergio Kolya, he's the one who made the deal for you."

"What's his relationship to Acastus Kolya?"

"I think they were cousins." she said.

Sergio Kolya smiled as Sheppard came closer, it was evident that he was relishing the prospect of getting his hands upon Sheppard.

They stopped a few feet from Sergio Kolya and Nisha waited for him to speak.

"So this is Sheppard, is it. I've wanted to get my hands on him for a long time." Sergio Kolya said, sneering.

"What's the matter weren't you man enough, or brave enough, to do it yourself?" Sheppard remarked, laughing.

Sergio Kolya stared at him, his eyes full of hatred, and promises of pain and retribution. He went to hit Sheppard, but Nisha stepped between them.

"You haven't made the exchange yet, so he's still mine." she tells him.

Sergio glares at her, and thinks about hitting her, but he knows if he does that, his reputation will be shot to hell. And then no one would ever work for him, they'd fear being double crossed, so, for now, he lets it go, besides, Sheppard will be his in a few moments anyway.

Nisha knelt down at Sheppard's feet and started to remove the devices from his ankles.

"You can leave those on him." Sergio told her, indicating towards the devices.

"These devices are very hard to come by, and I'm not selling them." Nisha told him. She was not about to let this guy have anything. He moved away and began talking to one of the other men.

She stood up and started to remove the devices from his wrists, her eyes are a little red from all the crying she's been doing. She looked at Sheppard...

"I'm sorry." she said quietly, so no one else could hear.

"Yeah, so am I." he muttered harshly, she may be sorry, but she did have a choice, and she chose to do this, no matter what she may think.

Sergio came back over to them.

"Bring the boy out." he shouts to the man he was talking to a few moments ago.

John frowned, and wondered what they were talking about. He watched as the man left, and then returned a few minutes later, dragging a very distressed, young child out. He only looked about four years old, he was crying and trying to pull his hand out of the man's grasp. When the child saw Tanisha, he immediately began shouting her name, and trying to run to her.

Sheppard looked at Tanisha and saw her eyes riveted on the child, he closed his eyes as he realised why she'd kept on telling him she couldn't let him go. They'd wanted to exchange him for the child. But why didn't she just tell him this in the beginning, he wondered, he might have been able to come up with a solution. One that wouldn't have involved handing him over.

"You have Sheppard, now let him go." she shouted, as Joshua became even more stressed, at not being able to go to her.

"Let him go." Sergio said.

Joshua ran over to Tanisha and flung himself in to her arms, he wrapped his arms and legs around her, and clung to her like a limpet. Nisha, held on to him tightly, reassuring him that he was Alright, and that he was coming home with her and his father.

Sheppard could only stare at her, as she tried to comfort the child, obviously the child was Lucas'. He remembered the sudden change in Lucas when he'd asked him if he had any children, now he knew why.

Nisha lifted her head up from Joshua's shoulder and caught Sheppard watching her, he gave a half hearted smile, as if to say he understood why she'd done it. But it didn't help her, she knew she was still responsible for what was going to happen to him, even if it had been for a good reason.

"We've made the exchange, so Sheppard is mine." Sergio told her, laughing as he looked at Sheppard. He could do what the hell he like to the guy now.

Nisha couldn't take her eyes off Sheppard, she really didn't want to leave him here. Sheppard wondered why she didn't just go, she'd gotten what she wanted.

"When I've finished with these guys. Maybe I'll look you up." he told her, jokingly.

"When we've finished with you, you won't be going anywhere, except in the ground." Sergio told him.

She watched as Sergio pulled his hand back and slammed his fist in to Sheppard's stomach. Sheppard doubled over at the blow, she winced, and closed her eyes, she didn't want to go, but she had Joshua, and he was getting even more distressed.

With the greatest of difficulty, she does the hardest thing that she's ever had to do. She turns her back on Sheppard and walks away. She can hear the scuffling behind her as they drag Sheppard to the house. She doesn't look back as the tears run down her cheeks, she just clings on to Joshua, tightly.

"Nisha, cry." Joshua said, fear in his voice, he doesn't like it when adults cry.

"Yes, I'm just happy to see you." she says, trying to reassure him that everything is Alright.

But she knows it's not Alright, and never will be, not while she has to live with the knowledge that she is responsible for the pain and torment that Sheppard is about to endure, which will certainly lead to his death...

TBC...

>>>>>>>>>>oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo>>>>>>>>>>


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date:** 20th July 2007  
**Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter: **6/10**  
Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **(Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **Irresponsible**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 6

As Nisha walked away, Sheppard tried not to moan, as Sergio Kolya's fist connected with his abdomen, again. He bit down on his lip, when a crushing blow on his back, knocked him to the ground, he grunted as his face hit the hard ground. He was lying on his side, and he couldn't stop the sarcastic comment that fell out of his mouth, which earned him a couple of kicks to his stomach, knocking the breath out of him.

"I'm going to enjoy breaking you down." Sergio sneered, as he saw Sheppard trying not to show his pain. "By the time I'm finished with you, you'll be screaming, and begging me to kill you."

"I'm sure I won't." Sheppard croaked, as he drew air in to his lungs.

Sergio bent down and grabbed a handful of Sheppard's hair, dragging his head up, he stared at him.

"I'm sure you will." he snarled, and slammed his face down, hard against the ground. "Bring him in to the house." Sergio told his men.

"When are you going to start torturing him?" Sergio's brother, Valdis Kolya, asked, laughing as Sheppard was dragged away.

"What's the matter can't you wait." Sergio laughed at his brother's eagerness to get started.

Valdis just grinned and laughed harder.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Sheppard is dragged to an empty room, where they tie his hands to individual hooks that are hanging from the ceiling. He's barely touching the ground with his toes, and his whole body weight is pulling on his wrists. The men stand back, watching and waiting.

Sergio Kolya comes in to the room, in his hand he's holding a whip, which is made up of five leather strips. As he comes closer to Sheppard, he can see that each leather strip, which is about four foot in length, has a small piece of sharp metal threaded in to the end.

Sheppard grimaces, the whip looks very similar to the whips that he's read about, called a 'cat-O-nine-tails, that they used on Earth hundreds of years ago. They were used on prisoners and criminals, and were notorious for being extremely painful.

"You want me to cut his shirt off." Valdis asked his brother.

"No need, this thing cuts through cloth like it was paper." Sergio told him, as he stroked the leather strips through his fingers.

"But I want to 'SEE' what it does." Valdis argues.

"Then cut his shirt off." Sergio told him.

Sheppard waits for Valdis to get close enough to him, then he winces, as he rests his whole weight on his wrists, he lifted his legs up and kicked Valdis away from him.

"Son of a bitch." Valdis snarled, as he went falling backwards to land on his ass, he goes to run back at Sheppard.

"Wait!" Sergio told him, "You two, tie his feet together, and anchor them down." he told the two men who dragged him in here.

After a few kicks and grunts, they managed to tie Sheppard's feet together, then they tied them to an anchor point on the floor.

Valdis came back over to him, and laughed in his face. He pulled his knife in front of him, and ran it over Sheppard's chest.

"You think you're man enough to use that thing on me, I mean with me being tied up and all. Sure you don't need someone else to do the dirty work?" Sheppard spouted off, and bit back a moan as Valdis pushed the knife deeply in to his thigh. When he pulled the knife out of his thigh, it hurt just as much as it had going in.

Valdis then cut Sheppard's t-shirt off, exposing his chest, there's already some dark patches on his skin, where bruising would eventually show. He dug the knife in to Sheppard's chest just under his pectoral muscles, then he dragged the knife downwards scoring the knife against his skin. Sheppard couldn't stop the slight murmur that left his throat.

Valdis pushed his face right up against Sheppard's and sneered.

"You won't be able to keep quiet for long." he told him.

Sheppard looked straight at him and gave him a big smile, Valdis snarled at him. Then he moved around to the back of Sheppard and started to score the knife down his back. He wanted to make him cry out, but Sheppard wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Not until Valdis dug the knife in to his back, just below his ribs, and pushed it in.

Sheppard tried to stop the moan, but it escaped anyway, making Valdis laugh. When Sheppard questioned his gender, Valdis started punching him.

"You hit like a woman." Sheppard told him, grunting as Valdis' fist connected with his back.

"You think so, well lets see if we can make you scream like a woman." Valdis snarled, his eyes spitting hatred at Sheppard

"I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you." Sheppard croaked, before drawing some much needed air in to his lungs.

Someone came in to the room and Sergio told Valdis to stop, he needed to do something first.

Sergio left the room for a while, and Sheppard had a slight reprieve.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Walking back to Lucas, felt like one of the longest walks she'd ever had to do. When she met up with Lucas, he immediately grabbed hold of Joshua, reassuring his son, and himself, that everything was Alright. When he looked at Nisha, he knew exactly what she was planning, he knew she wouldn't be able to live with the guilt. Besides he found Sheppard to be a likeable guy, a bit full of himself, sometimes, but he seemed decent enough. He hadn't really wanted to know him at first, he'd wanted to keep his distance from him. But Sheppard had insisted upon telling everyone his life story, and Lucas hadn't been able to ignore all of his rambling.

Nisha began checking all their stuff, hers and Lucas', she put all of it on the ground and asked Lucas what he needed, and she took the rest. All the food, water, spare clothes and anything else that she would need.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Lucas asked her

"I can't leave him there." she told him, wiping her hand across her cheeks, as a few more tears escaped, and ran down her face.

"Kolya, has an awful lot of security around here. Do you think you'll be able to do it. I mean you haven't had time to study the place, it will be very dangerous," he reminded her.

"He only got the extra security so that I wouldn't try to snatch Joshua back. So now that he doesn't have Joshua, he doesn't have to worry about me, I'm hoping he'll let the extra security go. I mean he wouldn't suspect that I'd try to get Sheppard back, would he?" Nisha pointed out, and just hoped that she was right.

"If they catch you, they'll kill you. And even if they don't catch you, they'll realise who took him, and then they'll come looking for you." Lucas told her.

"That's why you have to take Joshua back now and move, go visit your friend on Nisos, and find somewhere else to live." she knew she was asking a lot of him. But they had already decided to do this anyway, especially after the Kolya's had taken Joshua.

"You're certain you want to do this?" he asked again, just to make sure.

"Yes, very."

He hugged her and told her to be careful.

"I won't be able to do anything until tonight anyway, so you have most of the day to get back."

"Where will you be going?" he asked, realising that she'd not told him where she was going to stay.

"I have a place, I'll contact you when I get settled there."

"Alright, so I'll wait for you to contact me."

She watched Lucas and Joshua go, then she stashed the extra stuff she had, beneath some foliage. She was just about to start looking around the area, for some place to hide, when she saw a number of men walking along the path. She hid in the thick bush and watched them pass by. They were Kolya's extra security guys, he'd let them go, this made her plan a little more easier to carry out.

When the way was clear she started checking the area, she came upon a small cave, that was well hidden. She carefully checked inside, making sure no animals were occupying it. Then she carefully placed more foliage around the cave, which made it almost impossible to detect. She puts her pack in the cave, and then moved closer to the house, so that she can watch what is going on.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

When Sergio came back in to the room he picked the whip up and moved over to Sheppard. He stood behind him and Sheppard heard the whip before he felt it. The sudden feel of leather strips snapping across his back, hurt like hell, but it was nothing compared to the feel of the metal, which is attached to the ends of those strips. The metal part, at the end of the leather strips, bit in to his flesh and tore at his skin.

The first couple of times, he managed to subdue the moans, but after that, the pain is too much and he can't stop himself from groaning, as his flesh is torn to shreds.

He loses count of how many times the whip is used on him. All he can feel is the pain, which make his skin feel like it's on fire. He loses consciousness, only to be woken up by the feel of water being thrown over him.

"You don't escape the pain that easily." Sergio, snarled at him, then laughed in his face.

"You call that pain." Sheppard said, sarcastically.

Sergio didn't like Sheppard's sarcastic reply, and he used the handle of the whip to hit him in the face, splitting the inside of Sheppard's mouth. Sheppard couldn't resist spitting the blood out of his mouth right in to Sergio's face. It's very satisfying to see that Sergio, doesn't appreciate Sheppard's little stunt. The rage that erupts from Sergio, is frightening, and Sheppard takes the full force of it.

It's a while later before Sheppard regains consciousness, he groaned as the pain, radiated, all over his body. His head is bent forward, and he can see the blood spattered all over the floor, and all around him. He lifted his head up and saw that neither Sergio or Valdis are in the room. Only the two men who dragged him in here earlier.

Sheppard doesn't know what time it is, but through the small window, on the far wall, he can see that the sky has darkened considerably. His wrists are killing him, as his weight continues to drag on them, but there's nothing he can do.

Valdis opens the door and calls one of the men out, a few seconds later the guy comes back in and they cut the ropes tying his wrists up. He can't stand up straight and falls to the floor, jarring his battered and bruised body on the hard ground. Then the two men, tie his hands together behind his back, and leave him where he is, then they leave the room. So he's definitely not going to get any water, he realises, coughing because his throat feels so dry.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha had to wait until nightfall before she attempted to do anything. She stayed well hidden till it was very dark, watching Kolya's guards patrolling the property. The four sides of the property has guards at each section, and they walk along their section every so often.

She takes the best section, where she has less chance of being detected, and she waits till the guard is just in the right place. She aims her gun, and fires, the guard drops instantly, the darts she is using are very fast acting. She races over and grabs the man, and pulls his body over to the thick undergrowth, where she hides his body.

She moved back to the wall and started to climb up, using the foliage growth that covers this corner of the wall. When she reaches the top of the wall, she carefully lies along the top, to see how safe it is. The house is quiet, and dark, most of the people would be sleeping, so she carefully got down and moved closer to the house.

It should be a little easier as most of his security is outside the house, and not inside. She entered the house and set about locating Sheppard.

After searching quite a bit of the house she finds a corridor and peeks along it. There is a guard standing outside a locked door, she used the dart gun and quickly unlocked the door, she dragged the guard inside the room.

It's dark but she can see Sheppard lying on the floor, his hands tied behind him, but she can't see his face. She hesitated for a second, and wondered if he was up to escaping, then she tried to wake him up. He's shirtless, and although it's dark, she can see a lot of blood on his back and chest.

"Sheppard?" she whispered, but got no response.

"John?" she tried again, using his first name, she shook his shoulder and heard a muffled moan from him.

"Can you get up?" she asked, if he can't she doesn't know what the hell she'll do.

She cut the rope from his wrists and feet, and rolled him over on to his back, she winced as she saw the deep gash across his forehead. She can just see the dark discolouration over his cheekbone and another cut that reached in to his hairline. When she touched his stomach to try and get him to open his eyes, he flinched and moaned.

"John!" she said a little louder, she shook his shoulder again.

"Can you open your eyes?" she asked.

He opened his eyes and stared at her, then he closed them and rolled over on to his side.

"If you don't get up, we'll get caught." she told him.

"You're really here." he croaked, his throat dry and rough.

"Yes, I'm really here, now you have to get up."

He tried to pull himself up but was finding it difficult, he was in too much pain.

Nisha helped him to get up and got him over to the door, where she told him to wait. She arranged the guard in the same place where Sheppard had been. If somebody looked in to the room, she hoped he'd be mistaken for Sheppard. She got Sheppard outside the room and locked it, hoping they'd think the guard had gone for a bathroom break and not be overly suspicious.

She was helping him along the corridor when she heard voices, she pushed Sheppard in to one of the darkened rooms. She manoeuvred him behind the door, and stood in front of him, she just hopes that they don't enter this room. She could see he was finding it hard standing upright, he started pitching forward. Nisha pushed her whole body against him, to try and keep him upright.

Sheppard is in a lot of pain and can't stop the groan that's slowly rising in his throat. The pressure that Nisha is exerting against him, to keep him upright, is only adding to his pain.

"Shh." Nisha whispers, as the moan begins to escape from his throat.

"Can't..." he moans, as the pain increases.

Nisha does the only thing she can think of to keep him quiet, she presses her mouth over his, to smother the sound of his moan. Sheppard reacts by kissing her back, pressing his mouth firmly over hers, which effectively stems the sound, but he's still in pain.

When Nisha heard the men move past she tried to pull her mouth away but Sheppard was a little reluctant to let go. He finally lifted his mouth up from hers, he's leaning heavily on her shoulders, because standing upright on his own is just too painful. She managed to get him outside, and over to the wall, she's not so sure he'll be able to make it over the wall, but there isn't any other way out.

With a lot of difficulty she helped him to get on top of the wall, where she told him to stay. She climbed over and told him to drop down, while she tries to break his fall. As he dropped down, he fell back in to her, and they both fell on the ground, luckily they don't make a lot of noise.

She wanted to put as much distance between them and the Kolya's as she could, but with Sheppard being so injured, the only thing she can do, is head for the cave. And hope that they can stay there for a day or two, to give Sheppard a chance to recover some strength. She got him inside the cave, then went back outside to make sure that any tracks they made are covered, and that the entrance is well concealed.

Inside the cave she throws a blanket on the floor and helped Sheppard to lie down on it. His skin is cool and clammy, and he has a lot of blood on his pants and on his skin. She decided to tend to his wounds, better do it now rather than later. She used the night light which gives off a low dimmed light, just enough for her to see by.

She didn't want to cut his pants off, so she undid them and pulled them down, to reveal a deep knife wound in his thigh. It's still seeping blood so she cleaned it up as best she could, and she used some plant extract, and covers it with a dressing. Then she pulled his pants back up, and helped him to roll on to his stomach, he's barely conscious.

His back looked the worst, covered in deep gouges where the whip had bit in to his flesh and torn it. There were too many cuts to distinguish individually, so she cleansed his back as much as she could. She took the medicinal plant, which was the leaf part of the plant, that has been crushed down to a powder, she sprinkled it all over his back. The plant will help with the healing process, and would also help to stop any bleeding.

Finally she got the extra t-shirt out, that had been Lucas', and put it on him. Then she covered him up with the other blanket, and he fell asleep. But after about an hour he started moaning and moving about.

"John, you have to keep quiet, someone might hear you." she told him, but he kept moaning and shivering. She got under the blanket with him, and spooned in against his back, careful not to put any pressure against his back.

He seemed to quieten down, but Nisha stayed awake, listening for anyone who might venture near the cave, but eventually she fell asleep.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

When she awoke a while later, the daylight was filtering in to the cave, so it was bright enough to see everything. She was lying on her side, and Sheppard was spooned against her back, with his face pushed in to the back of her neck.

She moved from beneath the blanket and turned around to look at him, he was still asleep. His skin looked pale, and she could see the bruising on his cheekbone and along his chin. She can see a few cuts across his arms where the whip had caught him. She just wondered how much pain he was actually in, and would he be able to make it to the Stargate.

For most of the day he slept, moaning and groaning, especially when he moved to find a better sleeping position. She hadn't heard anyone near the cave, but she had heard people in the distance, shouting and talking. They had been following the path to the Stargate, and hadn't ventured near the cave.

When Sheppard woke up it was early evening, the first thing he wanted, was water.

"Where are we?" he rasped, his throat still felt dry.

"In a cave, a few miles from the Kolya's place." she told him. He seemed to be thinking about something.

"So, last night, wasn't a dream, we really did escape?" he asked.

"Yes, but we still have to get to the Stargate, which I don't think you're capable of doing at the moment." she told him, taking the water flask from him.

"Won't they find us here?"

"I don't think so."

"Don't think so!" he repeated.

"Well, it's not like you could have gone any further anyway, is it." she remarked, what had he expected her to do, carry him.

Sheppard rolled on to his back, and had to bite his lip as the pain tensed his body, he quickly rolled back on to his side.

"Are you Alright?" she asked, watching him grimace.

"Lying on my back doesn't seem to agree with me at the moment." he joked.

"I'm not surprised, considering the amount of damage there."

"Where's Lucas?" he asked, looking around to see if any of his stuff was here.

"He took Joshua home."

"Joshua, is that the boy's name."

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me about him in the first place." he asked.

"You were a stranger, why would I tell you about him."

"Because, maybe we could have come up with a plan on getting him back. One that didn't involve you handing me over."

"The guy had extra security, what ever plan you could have come up with, could have put Joshua's life at risk."

Sheppard sighed, he didn't like it but she was probably right. He couldn't say that he wouldn't have done the same thing as her. He fell asleep, leaving Nisha to watch and listen for anyone coming near the cave.

He'd only been asleep for a couple of hours when he woke up moaning that he was freezing. When she checked him, he didn't feel hot, maybe it was delayed shock from his injuries. She couldn't risk lighting a fire, the light could attract some one.

"Freezing..." he muttered, as his body trembled, trying to pull the blanket further around him.

Nisha got under the blanket with him and laid on her side, so that he could snuggle in to her back. But after a few minutes he was still shivering, and he kept fidgeting, she knew he was uncomfortable, and in pain.

"Could you lie on your back." Sheppard asked, his voice shaky, with all the shivering.

Nisha moved on to her back and he immediately draped himself over her, letting his head rest on her shoulder.

"Mm...you're nice and warm." he muttered, and fell fast asleep. It took a while for the shivers to go, but they went eventually. Nisha couldn't put her arms around his back, because the pressure on his back was too much.

It was early the next morning before he woke up again, Nisha woke up, because he was shaking her.

"Is something wrong." she asked.

"I'm gonna be sick." he croaked, he got up on his hands and knees and crawled a short distance from the blanket, where he threw up, but it was only water, as he'd had nothing to eat. Nisha hadn't wanted to give him anything to eat in case it made him sick.

He came back to the blanket and dropped, face down, on to it, and slept. She felt his forehead, he was a little hot, but not overly so. The next time he woke up, he watched her take one of the water flasks and mix something in to it.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"It'll help to get your energy levels up." she told him, and handed him the flask.

He took a sip, it was slightly sweet, but tasted very pleasant, so he took a few more drinks, then handed the flask back to her.

"I'm curious as to why you didn't just go with Lucas. Why did you come back?" he asked her.

"Surely you know why I came back?" she threw the question at him. He stared at her, he wasn't sure why she came back.

"You fell madly in love with me?" he said jokingly, but he did wonder if it could be true.

"More like I fell in to the guilt trip you decided to lay on me." she said, watching his face redden slightly.

"It's called survival." he said, smiling at her.

"I would have felt guilty without any help from you." she told him.

"So the sex didn't influence you any." he asked.

"No."

"Yeah, right." he said with disbelief, and saw her blush. She got up and began checking the entrance to the cave.

He couldn't stay awake any longer, and fell in to a deep sleep.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Sheppard didn't wake till the following morning, when Nisha told him that they would have to try to get to the Stargate. She packed the stuff up and helped him to stand up, then they carefully, and cautiously made their way towards the Stargate. Nisha judged that it would take them a few days to reach it. And they would have to stay off the main path, so as not to be seen by anyone.

Sheppard found it hard going, he was in a lot of pain, and his leg hurt every time he put any weight on it. He had his arm around Nisha's shoulders, and he knew he was leaning heavily on her, but he couldn't help it.

He asked her where she lived and she told him that she had a property on a planet called Andavar. He'd never heard of it before, but she said it was nice, and that her house was right by a huge ocean, it sounded pretty idyllic to him.

Nisha had to grab hold of his hip as she couldn't touch his back. And they only managed a short distance before they had to stop. Then, after a rest, they went a little further, they kept doing this until it got dark. Then they bedded down for the night, Sheppard threw up, again, he'd thrown up a few times during the day, due to exertion and, she suspected, infection.

It took them a few days to reach the Stargate, and Sheppard was looking pretty bad. They used the Stargate to gate to another planet from where they could contact Atlantis.

Nisha helped him to sit down by the DHD, he really didn't look very well, and he was still in a lot of pain.

"You should be Alright now. I'll dial Atlantis, and you can use this to make contact with them. Tell them to come and get you." she told him, handing him the communication device.

"You're not coming with me?" he asked, frowning, he thought she'd be coming with him.

"No, I need to sort things out."

"Sergio Kolya won't let this go, he'll come looking for you." Sheppard didn't want anything to happen to her.

"They won't be able to find me. No one, knows where I am, only you."

"Not even Lucas?" he asked, he was a little stunned that she'd told him, while her cousin didn't know.

"No, Lucas doesn't know, I never told him." she saw him grimace in pain. "Are you okay?"

"Not really, can I ask for one last request, before you go?" he asked, feeling a pang of sadness that she wasn't coming with him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Kiss me."

"Is that it." she asked, smiling.

"Well I would ask for more, but I don't think I could cope with anything else, not at the moment."

Nisha leaned over him and kissed him, he put his hand behind her head and pulled her closer. He didn't want to let go, but he knew he had to.

"Don't go...stay with me. You can come to Atlantis..." he said, groaning as the pain suddenly gripped him.

"I have to go." she told him, reluctantly.

"When you've sorted things out, you'll let me know?"

"I'll see." she answered, and he had to be satisfied with that. He kissed her again, and let her go.

Nisha watched from a distance, making sure that he didn't pass out before his people came for him, to take him back to Atlantis.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Atlantis

Ronon was in a real bad mood, because they hadn't found any sign of Sheppard, on any of the planets. He'd wanted to go back to Ladon, to see if he could get any more information out of him, but Weir had stopped him.

"Damn it! We can't just sit here and wait, we need to do something, now." Ronon shouted, banging his fist on the table.

"I assure you Ronon, we are doing everything possible to locate Colonel Sheppard." Weir told him, her eyes holding his in an unwavering stare.

"It's not enough." Ronon bit out.

"Doctor Weir, we have an incoming message from Lt Colonel Sheppard,." the technician who'd just ran in to the room told her.

"Colonel Sheppard! You're sure." she asked, stunned.

Ronon was immediately on his feet and headed to the Stargate, closely followed by Weir, and the others.

"Put it on the speaker." Weir told the technician.

"Yes ma'am."

"Atlantis, this is Sheppard..." they could hear the strain in his voice.

"John, are you Alright?" Weir asked.

"No, you'd better send someone to pick me up." he said, his voice, slurred.

"We'll come get you right away." she told him.

As soon as the Gate shut down they dialled the planet and Major Lorne's team, along with Ronon, went to pick him up.

TBC...

>>>>>>>>>>ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo>>>>>>>>>>


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date:** 23rd July 2007  
**Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter: **7/10**  
Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **(Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **Irresponsible**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 7

As soon as they brought Sheppard through the Gate, Beckett was at his side, and quickly got him to the infirmary.

"Carson, keep me informed as to how he is." Weir told him.

"As soon as I know the extent of his injuries, I'll let you know." he told her.

When Beckett had left the Gate room, Weir turned to look at Major Lorne and Ronon.

"I'm assuming Colonel Sheppard was alone?" she said.

"Yes, but I left the rest of my team there, to check out the area. Just to make sure no one else is around." Lorne told her.

"Fine. Did Colonel Sheppard, manage tell you anything?" she wanted to know.

"Ronon kept asking him how he got there, but he couldn't tell us. He was pretty much out of it." Lorne said.

"So we don't know how he managed to get to the Stargate."

"No, we're assuming he managed to escape from the Kolya's, and somehow got himself to a Stargate. But we can't be sure." Lorne admitted.

"Well, we'll find out soon enough." she said, taking her leave, to go and visit the infirmary. She wanted to find out how Colonel Sheppard was doing.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

In the infirmary Beckett has Sheppard lying on his back, and Sheppard is moaning and yelling. Trying to turn on to his side, so the pain won't be as bad, but they keep pushing him down.

"Colonel Sheppard, you're back on Atlantis, there's nothing to worry about..." Beckett tried to calm him down, but Sheppard kept pushing at their restraining hands.

"If you don't keep still, you're going to hurt yourself." Beckett told him, his hands on Sheppard's chest, trying to keep him still.

"Hurts..." Sheppard, groaned out, as his back protested at the pressure being put on it.

"What hurts?"

"Back..."

Beckett turned him over and lifted his t-shirt up.

"Christ...what did they do to you?" Beckett cursed at the sight of Sheppard's back. "Let's turn him over on to his side." Beckett told one of the medics, who was standing on the other side of Sheppard.

Beckett and a nurse cut the clothes off Sheppard, and revealing the full extent of his injuries.

They clean him up, re bandage his wounds, and give him an IV with a cocktail of antibiotics, to fight off the infection that he has.

"Carson, is he going to be Alright." Weir asked, from across the room, where she was standing with Ronon.

"Aye, he should be Alright, if he can fight of the infection." Beckett said coming over to stand next to her.

"Do you know what they did to him. Has he spoken..." she asked, her eyes glancing from Sheppard to Carson.

"He hasn't spoken much, and he's said nothing of what happened to him. But his back is in a terrible state. It looks like someone has gouged furrows in to his skin. Now my guess is that they used a whip, but it's been no ordinary whip..." Beckett went on to detail more of his injuries.

"Sounds very primitive, and very gruesome." Weir shivered at the thought of what had happened.

"Aye, some people can be very primitive when it comes to torture. It is beyond me how another person can inflict such pain on another human being, or animal, for that matter." Beckett, sighed, at the depravity of some people.

"No internal injuries." she asked him.

"No, surprisingly, I'd have expected some, considering who he was handed over to." Beckett said, with some relief.

"Can I talk to him?" Ronon asked, who'd been standing there very quietly, just watching. Even though Sheppard was still alive, he knew he wouldn't let Toryn get away, he'd make sure that she paid for the pain, she'd caused Sheppard to endure.

"Not at the moment he's sedated." Beckett told him.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Two days after Sheppard had returned, Ronon took a little trip through the Stargate, on his own time. He started asking around, trying to find out where Tanisha Toryn and her cousin Lucas where. But so far, nobody had been able to tell him anything.

That was until he talked to a man from one of the villagers, who seemed to know everything.

"So do you know where Tanisha, or Lucas Toryn are?" he asked him.

The man regarded Ronon, warily, and wondered if he could trust him to pay him.

"I don't know where they are. But I'll tell you this, you're not the only one looking for Tanisha Toryn." he said.

"Somebody else is looking for her, does this other person have a name?" Ronon asked him, wondering who else was looking for her.

"Yes, it was Sergio Kolya, and his brother, he promised me money if I could tell him where she was."

"But you don't know where she is, do you?" Ronon asked, wondering if the guy was angling for more money.

"No, I wish I did, I could sure use the money." the man, admitted, sighing, as he thought of the money he was missing out on.

Ronon was curious as to why Sergio Kolya was looking for Toryn.

"Do you know why he wants to find her?" Ronon asked him.

"From what they were saying, I think she double crossed them."

Ronon smiled, maybe he could use the Kolya's to find Toryn.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Sheppard is still sick, he's running a fever, and he's delirious, so they haven't been able to question him. They still don't know what happened to him, nor do they know how he managed to escape.

"Can I have a few moments with him?" Ronon asked Beckett.

"Just a few, but try not to disturb him, he needs peace and quiet." Beckett told him.

"Sure, whatever you say." Ronon told him, and waited for him to go.

Sheppard opened his eyes, and saw Ronon, he gave a slight grin, then closed his eyes again.

"Hey buddy...what day is it." he asked, his mind fuzzy from all the medication he was on.

"It's Tuesday, how are you feeling."

"High." he laughed, looking at Ronon.

"Do you remember Toryn?" Ronon asked him.

"Toryn..." he said the name, frowning, as he tried to remember. "Nisha." he said, remembering.

"Yeah, that's it. Did you hear them talking about any planets?" Ronon asked, and waited for Sheppard to speak, which was taking a long time.

"Planets...Nisha..." Sheppard, repeated the words, something sounded familiar.

"Yes, do you remember them mention any names of any planets, or any addresses, anything at all?" Ronon asked.

"Andavar..." Sheppard mumbled, "By an Ocean..." he told Ronon, remembering what Nisha had told him. Why was Ronon asking him about Nisha, he wondered, but he was too sleepy to think about it too much, and fell asleep.

He didn't see the satisfied smile that Ronon gave, just before he vanished out of the infirmary.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Five days later and Sheppard was well enough to leave the infirmary, but had to stick to light duties, until the following week.

Sheppard was sitting at a table, in the mess hall, with McKay and Teyla, when Ronon came over. He sat down at the table, leaning back in the chair, he stretched his body out, and folded his arms.

"I heard that Ladon, stipulated that the Kolya's would no longer be welcome on the Genii home world." Teyla told Sheppard.

"Yeah, so I heard." Sheppard said, he didn't think that would bother them much.

"What about the people who kidnapped you? What's going to happen to them?" McKay asked.

"I don't think we'll have to worry about Toryn, any more." Ronon told them.

Sheppard looked at him, warily, and wondered what Ronon had been up to.

"Ronon! What did you do?" Sheppard asked him, he knew he wasn't going to like what Ronon told him.

"I heard that Toryn double crossed the Kolya's, so I got a message to them. I let them know where they could find her."

"Damn..." Sheppard cursed, as the glass in his hand shattered, with the increased pressure placed upon it. He remembered what they'd done to him, and he hated the thought of them doing the same thing to Nisha.

"Is there a problem? I mean she knew they'd kill you, but she still handed you over to them."

"She had a reason for doing that." Sheppard told, he was angry that Ronon had done such a thing.

"What reason?" Ronon wanted to know.

"They kidnapped her young nephew, and wanted to exchange him for me." Sheppard said. "How do you think I got away from them?" he asked, wondering what the hell Ronon, thought he was doing.

"We assumed, you'd escaped."

"I didn't escape, I was rescued." Sheppard told them.

"You never mentioned anything about how you got away."

"I was, kinda out of it for a while. I didn't know a detailed itinerary of what happened, was called for."

"You do know what they'll do to her, don't you?" Sheppard asked, staring at Ronon, still wondering why he'd done it.

"I have a pretty god idea, yes." Ronon answered, unrepentant, by what he'd done.

"When did you deliver this message?" Sheppard asked him.

"A few days ago."

"Damn it Ronon, why didn't you just ask me, before doing something like that."

"Like you said, you were out of it."

Sheppard took off for Weir's office.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha had thought about contacting Sheppard, but then thought better of it. She wasn't really sure as to what she'd say if she did contact him, after all it's not as if they're friends. They'd only been forced together because of an unfortunate set of circumstances, and probably wouldn't have met otherwise.

It was early afternoon, and she was resting on the bed when she heard the voices, voices that she recognised as the Kolya's

"Just find the bitch." Sergio Kolya snarled.

Nisha jumped off the bed quickly, and pulled her pants and t-shirt on, then she quickly stepped in to her boots. She looked around for anything to grab, that would be of any help to her, but there wasn't anything to grab. She moved over to the window and looked out, she couldn't see anyone outside. So either they were all in the house, or outside at the front.

She climbed on the the ledge and dropped down from the ledge, she was just standing up when a man came around the corner and saw her.

"She's back here." he shouted, and ran at her.

Nisha ran the opposite way to the man and almost ran in to Sergio Kolya as he came around the other side of the house. He grabbed hold of her arm, stopping her from getting away, Nisha scratched his hand...

"Bitch!" he screamed, cursing at her.

He let go of her arm, and she started running, but he pulled his hand back and snapped the whip at her. It caught her across her back, easily ripping through her t-shirt, and in to the flesh beneath.

The pain is excruciating, and Nisha cried out, as her skin was flayed, it caused her to stumble, and she fell.

"Grab her, before she gets away." Valdis Kolya, shouted at his brother.

As Nisha got up on her feet and tried to run, Sergio pulled his hand back and snapped the whip at her again. This time the whip caught her across her thigh, ripping through her pants and in to her skin. She fell over and rolled, breathless from the fall she tried to catch her breath and went to get up again.

"You're not going anywhere, you're going to pay for taking Sheppard." Sergio shouted, and placed his foot against her back, pressing her against the floor.

Nisha moaned as he pressed his foot on her back.

"Make sure no one else is inside the house." Sergio told his brother and the other man who's with them.

"What about her?" Valdis asked.

"I'll deal with her, now go and check."

He kept his foot pressed on her back, laughing as she struggled to escape.

"I'm going to enjoy messing around with you." he laughed. "Sheppard was too stubborn, he didn't respond very well to being tortured. But you, I'm going to make you scream, and beg, like Sheppard would have done." he told her.

"You know you never should have taken him from me." he told her, then he laughed. "Do you know how we found you so quickly." he asked, but he didn't wait for her to answer. "We received a message from someone on Atlantis, they gave us the address of this place. So it looks like Sheppard wanted his revenge on you after all, for handing him over." he laughed.

He grabbed her hair and pulled her up, yanking on her hair, he laughed when she winced. He crushed his mouth over hers, and Nisha tasted blood as her teeth cut in to her lip. When he lifted his mouth from hers, she turned her head and sank her teeth in to his arm. He yelled, and let go of her, she immediately ran towards the woods.

She could hear him behind her, but she had an advantage over him, she knew the wood better than them, so she had a better chance of escaping. She managed to put some distance between her and her pursuers. She turned around to check on where they where, but she couldn't see anyone, she hoped she'd lost them.

She turned back, bumping in to a bush as she did, she didn't see the lacerta, as it sprang from the bush. She tried to pull back but it latched it's mouth on to her arm, it's teeth sank in to her skin. She moaned and hit it away from her, but they'd heard her, and where already coming in her direction.

She could hear them behind her as she ran, she heard something up ahead of her, so she changed direction. She ended up on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the water below. It was a far way down to the water, but she knew what would happen if the Kolya's got hold of her.

So she jumped...

She hit the water, feet first and sank, almost to the bottom. She stayed underwater and swam towards the rocks, where she knew there was a cave. When the tide was in the cave entrance was covered, but inside the cave there was another way out, which opened up further back in the woods. She just hoped that they'd think she'd drowned, and leave.

"She couldn't have survived that." the man who was with the Kolya's remarked.

"She must have drowned, she hasn't surfaced." Valdis Kolya said, his eyes staring at the water.

"I was looking forward to hurting her." Sergio Kolya said, angry at losing his victim.

They waited for over ten minutes before deciding to leave, but not before they searched the house and took anything of value that they found.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha surfaced inside the cave, she took a deep gulp of air, then shivered at the cold. She was exhausted, cold, wet and in pain, and she couldn't tell if they'd gone or not. She'd have to stay here for a while, give them a chance to leave, before she ventured outside. Her back, and her thigh, throbbed painfully, as did her arm, where the lacerta had bitten her.

She grimaced, wondered if she'd get sick, or even if she'd survive. She'd seen a lot of people die from being bitten by a lacerta. Normally the creature shied away from people, it was only sudden movement, or being too close to it's nest, that caused it to react in this way.

She started thinking about what Sergio Kolya had said, about how they'd found her. Had Sheppard told them where she was, she didn't know him that well, but from what she'd heard and what she'd witnessed with her own eyes, she wouldn't have though him the type to do something like that.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Sheppard, Ronon, McKay and Teyla exited the Puddle Jumper, they'd landed close to the house, but still had quite a distance to walk. As usual Ronon was up front checking the area ahead of them, making sure it was clear.

They reached the house, and found things very quiet, inside the house, it was obvious that the Kolya's had already been here. The place looked like it had been ransacked, Sheppard just hoped that Nisha had gotten away.

Ronon checked upstairs, while the others checked downstairs, and outside.

"Did you find anything?" Sheppard asked Ronon when he came back.

"No, it's the same as here." he said, indicating to the mess around them.

"Do you think you could pick up any tracks." Sheppard asked him.

"I'll have a look." Ronon said, then vanished outside to have a look.

"Anything?" Sheppard asked him, as Ronon looked at the disturbed foliage.

"There were three of them, and it looks like they grabbed her here." he told him, pointing to the flattened grass, where there was blood.

Sheppard grimaced, he didn't like the way things were looking, he wondered what they'd done to her.

"So it looks like they took her." Sheppard said.

"I don't know, the footprints lead away from here, over to the wood. I found more blood on the bushes over there, so I'm guessing she could have gotten away from them."

Sheppard pulled the scanner out from his pocket, to see if he could pick up any other life signs. He saw their own life signs, and one other, so they started to track the other life sign.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha, had stayed in the cave for over an hour and a half, before she cautiously left the cave and headed towards the house, she needed to see if they'd gone. She wouldn't make it to anywhere else, she was freezing and starting to feel sick, and dizzy. She was only a short distance from the cave when she heard voices, she pulled back. She saw Sheppard and Ronon, she clenched her jaw, and wondered what they were doing here.

"Nisha"" Sheppard shouted, looking around in her direction. He hadn't seen her, but he kept looking at something that he was holding in his hand.

"If it's her, she's over there." Sheppard pointed exactly towards her. She moved from where she was, but she wasn't feeling too good, so it wasn't long before they caught up with her.

"Nisha!" Sheppard, shouted from behind her, but she didn't stop, she kept on walking.

She only stopped because Ronon appeared in front of her to block her way. She glared at him, and turned around to be confronted by Sheppard.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" he asked her, his eyes were drawn to her soaking wet clothes. He also saw, blood and the tell tale rips in her clothes, that were caused by that whip that Kolya had.

She didn't answer him, she just walked around him, and ignored him.

"Nisha..." Sheppard reached his hand out to grab her, but she pulled away from him. "Where are you going?" he asked.

She had a glazed look in her eyes, and he moved to block her way, grabbing for her arm, but again, she pulled back, this time losing her balance she ended up sitting on the floor.

Sheppard hunched down by her.

"Are you Alright?" he asked, grabbing her arm.

"Jeez...you're burning up." he shouted, shocked by the heat that was radiating off her skin.

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, pushing at his hand when he pressed it on her forehead.

"I can't do that, you're sick, you need help."

"I don't need your kind of help." she told him.

"Well I don't see anyone else rushing to help you." he told her, as he tried to help her up, but she kept pushing him away. Then she stood up, took a few steps, then stopped, everything was moving, and her head was spinning.

He watched her swaying, and moved closer in case she fell, which she did, sinking down to her knees. He grabbed hold of her waist, and she pushed his hands away.

"Get off me!" she shouted, "Leave me alone." she pushed his hands from her waist.

"Fine, I'll leave you alone." Sheppard shouted back at her, he let go of her and walked away. He looked over at Teyla, silently asking her to see if she could do anything.

Teyla tried to help Nisha up, so that they could take her back to the Jumper, but she refused.

"You told them where I was." Nisha, accused quietly.

Sheppard, knew immediately what she was talking about, he winced at her accusation, even though it wasn't true, he had initially, been the one to reveal where she was.

"I didn't tell them where you where." he whispered, "I wouldn't have done that." he told her, but he still felt guilty over it.

"You were the only person who knew where I was." she told him, and wondered if it were possible for him to be so vindictive.

"One of my people told them where you were." he said, looking at Ronon, but Ronon didn't seem to have a repentant bone in his body. Sheppard tried to explain how it had all happened, but he knew it sounded like a lame excuse.

"So you didn't tell them, but one of your people did." she said, then she looked right at him, "Where did one of your people get the location from?" she asked him.

Before he could explain further, she slumped forward on to the ground.

"Nisha!" Sheppard ran over, to check her over, but she was unconscious.

"We need to get her back to Atlantis, fast, she's burning up." he said, he looked at Ronon, who sighed, then came over and picked her up to carry her to the Jumper.

"If I could do it myself I would. Just call it penance, for the little premature stunt you pulled." Sheppard told Ronon, as he carried Nisha, Ronon just raised his brows at Sheppard's remark.

When they got her in the Puddle Jumper, Teyla checked her over, and noted that she had cuts on her back and thigh, and what looked like a bite on her arm.

"A bite? What kind of bite?" Sheppard asked, quickly. He'd noticed a couple of those lacerta creatures running around.

"What do you mean what kind of bite?" Teyla was confused by his question.

"Let me have a look." he came over to see it. The bite was about the right size to have been made by one of those creatures. He just hoped he was wrong, because according to what Nisha had told him, most people who were bitten by one of those things died.

He didn't waste any more time, as he headed through the Stargate for Atlantis...

TBC...

>>>>>>>>>>ooooooooooooooooooooooooo>>>>>>>>>>


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date:** 6th August 2007  
**Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter:** 8/10  
**Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **(Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **Irresponsible**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 8

As soon as they arrived on Atlantis, Beckett had Nisha taken to the infirmary. The first thing they had to do was try to bring her temperature down. The wounds on her back and thigh were easily dealt with, but the bite on her arm, was another matter.

Beckett took swabs from the wound, and had them analysed, along with blood samples.

"Do you think she'll be Alright?" Sheppard asked him, when he got a chance to.

"If we can find,the problem, and isolate it, then she has a good chance."

"And if you can't?"

"I'm doing all I can Colonel, using every possible combination of antibiotics, even a few that are in reserve. So I'm sure one of them will work."

"But you can't be certain." Sheppard said, looking at Beckett.

"No, Colonel, I can't be certain. But I assure you I will do everything in my power." Beckett tried to assure him.

Sheppard watched as the nurses periodically checked Nisha's temperature, took her blood pressure, and checked the data from all the monitors that she was attached to.

"You're supposed to be taking things easy, Colonel. I suggest you go and have something to eat and get some rest. After all, you've only just been released from the infirmary yourself." Beckett told him.

"You'll tell me if anything happens?" he asked.

"Of course I will, now go and get some rest." Beckett told him, and watched as Sheppard finally left the infirmary.

"Doctor Beckett, her white blood cell count is still dropping, and her temperature isn't lowering, it's started to rise again." the nurse informed him.

"Have we had any test results back yet?"

"Not yet, do you want me to see if I can hurry them up?" the nurse asked.

"Yes, and tell them, I know they're doing their best, but I need those results ASAP. The quicker we can identify the infection, the better her chances are."

He'd tried a mixture of antibiotics, but they had to wait, to see if the combination worked. In the meantime, the nurses where sponging Nisha down to try and reduce her fever.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Later that evening, Sheppard, found himself back in the infirmary, unable to stay away. He knew Beckett would do everything possible for Nisha, but he felt he had to be there.

"I thought I told you to get some rest." Beckett chided, when he saw him.

"I am resting, see." Sheppard told him, and climbed on to the bed, next to Nisha.

"I suppose that's the best I can hope for with you, isn't it." Beckett sighed.

"How is she?"

"She's stable, and we've managed to keep her temperature down for a few hours, but I'm afraid the antibiotics we've administered don't seem to be working. I've been trying to find out about any new combinations of drugs, which might help, but so far, nothing."

"What about any of our allies, can't any of them help?" Sheppard asked, Beckett didn't sound very optimistic, which wasn't at all like him.

"I've already sent messages to everyone who could possibly help."

"Do you think she'll pull through." Sheppard asked him, but wasn't really sure if he wanted to hear the truth.

"She's in the best place she could be, so I'd say yes. If you don't mind my saying, you sound very concerned for someone who kidnapped you, and handed you over to be tortured."

"As I've said before, she had a good reason for doing what she did."

one of the machines connected to Nisha started to blip and Beckett quickly ran over.

"What is it?" Sheppard asked, he got up off the bed, and stood next to Nisha's bed, she looked very pale, and very sick.

"Her temperature has started to rise again." Beckett said, as he began to connect a stronger antibiotic to the intravenous drip, in the hopes that this one would keep her temperature down.

She started moaning, and began moving, her movements pulled one of the IV needles out of her arm, so Sheppard grabbed hold of her arms and held her still.

"She's disorientated, and the high temperature is causing her to hallucinate." Beckett explained, as he replaced the IV needle. Sheppard continued to hold her and stop her from pulling out any of the other IV needles that where attached to her.

She started to fight against his hold, and he had to exert more pressure, to hold her down.

"If she keeps thrashing about like this, I'll have no option but to restrain her, otherwise she'll do more damage to herself." Beckett said, adjusting the dosage of the antibiotic, and the antipyretic drugs.

Sheppard lowered his mouth down to her ear and started to talk to her, in the hopes that he could calm her down. After about five minutes of constantly reassuring her that she was safe, and everything was okay, she stopped thrashing about.

"Seems she recognises your voice, Colonel." Beckett said, somewhat surprised.

"With the amount of talking I did, that's not surprising."

"Talked a lot did you?"

"You could say that."

"Her temperature has stop rising, maybe this antibiotic will do the trick." Beckett said, as he checked the statistics on the machines.

Sheppard, felt a little reluctant to let her go, he kissed her forehead, and stepped back, he moved back on to the bed beside her and Beckett frowned at him.

"Are you planning on staying there all night?" Beckett asked him.

"Yes, you're not using it are you."

"No, I'm not using it, but I'm not so sure, you'll use it either."

"Of course I will." he said, and leaned back as if to prove he would.

Beckett left him where he was, for now.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

In the early hours of the morning, Sheppard, who'd been sleeping, was awoken when Nisha began talking and shouting. He got hold of her, in case she pulled any of the drips out, but she kept struggling against his hold, and trying to get off the bed.

"No..." Nisha shouted, as she tried to push Sheppard's hands off, "Let me go..."

"Tanisha, it's John." he said loudly, she opened her eyes and stared at him, then she began looking around, and frowned.

"Where am I?" she asked, her voice sounded panicky.

"You're on Atlantis, remember, we found you on Andavar. The Kolya's..." he tried to say, but she cut him off mid sentence.

"You told them..." she was back to accusing him.

"I didn't actually tell them..." he tried to tell her.

"Yes you did." she was adamant.

"No, I...well I didn't personally, tell them, but, technically, I suppose you could say I did." he admitted, he might not have know anything about it, but he wasn't about to argue with her, not when she was so sick.

"Then why did you come to Andavar?"

"Would you believe me if I told you that I fell madly in love with you?" he said, a slight grin on his face.

"No." she answered quickly.

Well so much for telling the truth, he thought. But, why should she believe him, he'd only admitted it to himself a short while ago, and he was still having trouble believing it.

"Let's just say I couldn't let Sergio, or Valdis Kolya, get their hands on you."

"Even after you told them."

"Yes, even after I told them." he sighed, not wanting to argue the point.

For the whole week it was the same thing, they'd get her temperature down, and white blood cell count back to normal, then she'd relapse again. It wasn't until the second week that Beckett finally considered her to be out of danger. Throughout all this time Sheppard had been a constant visitor, even though Nisha seemed a little unsure of him. That was until Ronon had a little chat with her.

She'd been a little apprehensive when she'd seen Ronon walk in to the infirmary, his eyes had immediately focused on her.

"Ronon, is something wrong?" Doctor Beckett asked him, and Ronon looked away from her.

"Yes, I got a cut while we were on the planet, Sheppard insisted I saw you." Ronon said, his manner clearly showing that he thought it a waste of time.

"That is a nasty cut." Beckett remarked as he checked the cut on his hand. "Probably needs a stitch or two, I'll just get what I need, and have you fixed up in no time." Beckett told him and then left to get the things he needed.

Ronon looked at Nisha, he knew she still blamed Sheppard for telling the Kolya's where she was, Teyla had told him, that it was bothering Sheppard, that Nisha could think him capable of doing such a thing. Not being one to apologise, especially for something that he'd do again, if given the chance, he walked over to her.

"You all better now?" he asked her, she still looked very pale, he thought

"Yes, almost." she answered nervously.

"Look, about telling the Kolya's..." he started to explain.

"You don't have to explain anything." she quickly butt in.

"Yes I do, you think it was Sheppard who told."

"Yes, he..."

"Yeah I know, he let you believe it was him. That's because he feels some responsibility, for what happened to you, but he shouldn't. I got the information from him when he was still too ill to realise what I was asking him, or why, I was asking him."

"Why did you do it?"

"Why? You kidnapped him, and handed him over to be tortured and killed. I wasn't about to let you get away with it."

"Okay, thanks for telling me." Nisha said, not really knowing what to say to him.

"Don't think I'm apologising, I'm not. I just don't think Sheppard should take responsibility for something he didn't do, and had no control over."

"Okay, fine..." Nisha gulped, he really did make her feel nervous.

He seemed to be a little unsettled himself, then he just turned and walked across the room and waited for Beckett. Nisha wasn't sorry to see him leave the infirmary a short while later.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

"So I gather, this prolonged sickness, you're experiencing, is something you've witnessed yourself, with other people who have been bitten?" Beckett asked her.

"Yes, the two people I know of, who survived a lacerta bite, where sick for at least a couple of weeks afterwards." Nisha told Beckett.

"Well then, I don't see a problem with you leaving the infirmary, but I want you to come in every other day, so I can check on you myself."

"Okay." Nisha said, but she wondered what she was supposed to do, where was she supposed to go. She didn't know anything about where she was, or what they expected her to do. She heard a sound and turned to see John leaning against the doorway of the infirmary.

"So Beckett's letting you leave the infirmary." John said, smiling as he stood up and came over to stand by her.

"Yes, I..."

"Come on then, we already have a room set up for you." he told her, taking hold of her arm, he led her out of the infirmary.

He led her along several corridors, pointing out where some things where, along the way.

"That," he said pointing to a door, "Is my room, so if you ever need me, you know where to find me."

He carried on down the corridor and came to another door where he stopped and opened it, then he pushed her inside, she saw the clothes lying across the bed and looked at him.

"I had Teyla grab some clothes from one of the store rooms, but you've lost so much weight, they'll probably be too big for you."

"They'll be fine." she told him.

"Do you want to go get something to eat?"

"Don't mention food." she said, as her stomach protested at the thought of it.

"Still feeling queasy?"

"Only when you mention food."

"You have to eat, you can't afford to lose any more weight."

"Are you saying I'm skinny?"

"Not yet, but if you keep losing weight, you will be." he said, letting his eyes run over her body. Her face was a little thinner, as was the rest of her, but her breasts looked just the same, firm and full. He stepped closer and put his hands on her waist, as if to span it.

"Yes, definitely, getting there."

He didn't let her go, he pulled her closer and kissed her. He'd wanted to kiss her, since he'd seen her again on Andavar, but she'd been so sick. And since she'd been on Atlantis, she'd been in the infirmary, where the only kisses he'd managed to get where when he kissed her forehead or cheek.

"Since you don't want any food..." he said, lifting his mouth from hers, and pulling back to look at her. "How about we...stay here, and..." he lowered his mouth down and kissed her before he finished what he was saying, but his meaning was evident.

It felt like a long time since they'd last kissed, and Nisha hadn't realised how much she'd missed him. So much for not contacting him because she didn't consider him a friend, maybe that's because she wanted him to be so much more.

"So do you want to stay here...or do you want me to take you on a tour of Atlantis?" he asked.

"I'll take the tour." she said, and watched him trying not to show his disappointment.

"Are you sure, you're up to it."

"I don't know, but I've been lying down so much lately, I feel like walking."

"Come on then." he pulled her out of the room, and started to show her all the relevant places on Atlantis.

They were standing on a walkway, looking down on everyone in the Gate room, when Ronon came over and stood by John. He gave her a quick glance and then ignored her, Nisha really wasn't sure if he liked her, or hated her, he was very hard to judge. While they talked, Nisha listened, she was glad when Ronon left, not that she didn't like him, she just didn't know him, and she didn't hold a grudge against him for what he did, he just made her feel uneasy.

The next place they stopped at was McKay's lab, as usual he was drinking coffee and eating a sandwich. As soon as Nisha smelled the coffee, her stomach turned, and she felt sick, she quickly ran outside to get away from the smell.

"You Alright?" John asked her, as he came up behind her.

"Yes, it's just the smell."

"Have you actually eaten anything since you've been here."

"Some fruit, and some toast."

"And that's all."

"I can't keep anything down."

"Are you sure these symptoms are just the after affects of the bite." he asked, wondering if the symptoms could be from something else.

"What are you talking about, I told Beckett, the few people who I know of, who survived a lacerta bite, where sick for weeks afterwards."

"Okay, if you say so." he let it drop, and didn't mention it again.

"Do you want to go back, or continue on." he asked.

"Continue on, if you don't mine."

"Come on then, I'll try to keep away from any food smells." he laughed.

They ended up on one of the balconies, that looked out across the city and the surrounding water.

"Beautiful, isn't it." John said, as he leaned his elbows on the wall.

"Yes, it's very beautiful." Nisha agreed with him, it was a very beautiful city, she'd never seen anything like it before. She wondered what it would be like to live in such a place, and then that got her wondering.

"When are you going to take me home?" she asked him.

John tensed, he knew she'd eventually ask the question, he just didn't think that it would be so soon. He turned to look at her, and smiled teasingly.

"So eager to get away. What's the matter don't you like m...us" he wanted to say me, but changed it to us.

"Of course I like you, and everyone has been very friendly. It's just that...I wanted to know when you'd take me home."

"You're still sick, and Beckett needs to keep an eye on you." he answered, non-committally, and looked away.

"So probably next week then?" she queried further.

"I don't know, maybe." he said evasively, and wondered how on earth he could get her to stay.

It was early afternoon when he took her back to the room she was using.

"Get some rest, and I'll be back later." he said, kissing her forehead, before he left.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha had just finished drying her hair, after having a shower, when she heard someone at the door, she opened it to find John standing there.

"Are you going to invite me in?" he asked, looking at the robe she wore, and realising that she was probably naked beneath it.

"Of course, come in."

"Did you mange to get some rest?"

"Yes, I got some rest." she told him, she had her back to him, her long dark hair looked shiny and silky, she'd obviously just dried it.

He moved up behind her and tangled his fingers in the silken tresses, and rubbed his face against its softness.

"You smell gorgeous."

"I used the stuff I found in the bathroom."

"Yeah, it doesn't smell like this when I use it." he remarked, as he continued to breathe in the delicate fragrance. The scent of her hair, and body was arousing him, and he couldn't resist asking.

"Let me stay with you."

"John..."

"We don't have to do anything, if you don't want to, just let me stay." he asked, resting his hands on her shoulders, he kissed the top of her head.

She wasn't about to refuse.

"Yes, you can stay."

He stayed behind her, and let one of his hands slip down her front, where he slid it in to the front of the robe she was wearing. He pressed his hand against her skin and slid it further inside, moving down until he could cup her breast. Where he stroked his fingers across her nipple, causing her to arch her back as pleasure spiralled down her abdomen.

Nisha twisted around until she was facing him, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. John slid his hands around her back, and pulled her close, and placed small, nibbling, kisses, on her mouth.

"Beautiful." he whispered, as he kissed her neck, and drew in a deep breath, inhaling her scent. He felt her resting her head on his shoulder, and her body sagged, slightly, against him. He had to physically hold her up, so she wouldn't fall.

"Nisha! Are you okay?" he asked, pulling his head back to see.

"Tired..." she mumbled, lifting her head up to look at him, she yawned.

"You need to be in bed." he said, moving her toward the bed.

She took the robe off, and slid beneath the covers and fell asleep almost immediately.

John smiled, well he did say they didn't have to do anything, and he'd meant it. But his body didn't seem to know the difference, so he took a cold shower before he got in to bed with her. He snuggled up next to her, and pulled her in to his arms, careful of her back and thigh where Sergio Kolya had used the whip on her. It wasn't long before he fell asleep himself.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

John was lying on his stomach, his face pressed in to the pillow, and his arms underneath the pillow. Nisha was lying against him, her head resting on his back, and her arm lying across his back.

It was light enough to see, and Nisha looked at the criss cross, of newly formed, pink scars, that ran across John's back. She traced her fingers tips over them and felt him shiver and arch his back away. She pressed her mouth against his skin, and heard him draw his breath in sharply.

"Does it hurt when I touch your back?" she asked, him.

"No, it doesn't exactly hurt, it's just that it still feels pretty sensitive." he said, turning around so that he was facing her.

Nisha edged a little closer to him, and leaned her head over to kiss him. He pulled her even closer, and she wrapped her arms around his back, and heard him groan.

"Is that your sensitive back, or your sensitive front." she asked teasingly, as she felt his erection throbbing against her stomach.

"I'm not sure, but I'd concentrate on the front one if I were you." he told her, groaning as she moved one of her hands between their bodies, and stroked him.

"Not feeling tired any more?" he asked, jerking his hips, as she continued to caress him.

"No, I'm wide awake."

"That's good."

"Why?"

"Means I can do this." he said, rolling over so that he was resting above her. Nisha moved her legs so that he could rest between them, his hips cradled against hers.

Knowing that she still wasn't fully recovered, he took things slowly, he wanted to make love to her leisurely. Taking his time to make sure that she enjoyed it, because, unlike the last time they'd been together, this time he really was making love to her. And he hoped, on some level, that she would be able to tell the difference.

He gently slid his erection inside her, and groaned, as the delicious feeling, of being with her again, almost overwhelmed his senses.

"You're beautiful." he whispered, against her ear, he trailed his lips down her neck, until he finally reached her breasts. He drew the soft mound of flesh in to his mouth and suckled greedily, his tongue flicked across the hardened nipple, causing her to gasp with pleasure.

"If you want me to stop..."

"No, I don't want you to stop." she cried, as she clasped the back of his neck, and stroked her fingers through his hair. He left a trail of damp kisses across her breasts, and moved back up to her face.

He started to rock his hips gently against her, making her cry out each time he thrust inwards, filling and stretching her completely. Although he kept his thrust to a gentle pace, each thrust was long and deep, and he could feel her muscles, tightly stroking along the length of his shaft.

His body cried out for release, but he didn't just want to pound in to her, until he finally found released. He wanted to love her, give her pleasure, and he wanted her to tell him that she loved him.

"You feel so good, I..." he pressed his face in to the curve of her neck, as he felt her body tighten and clench on him. She closed her eyes, and arched her neck back, as the pleasure flooded through her body. He held on to her tightly, and felt her body slowly relaxing, as her climax ebbed away.

He was really craving for release now, assured that he had given her pleasure, he strove for his own. He thrust a little harder, and a little deeper, pressing his hips firmly against hers. It didn't take long before he came to a shuddering crescendo, feeling wave, after wave, of pleasure as it washed over him.

"I l..." he went to say 'I love you', but he stopped himself, he didn't think she was ready to hear him say that. But, he still wanted to say the words, so, he decided he'd tell her in a different way, he pressed his mouth close to her ear, and whispered...

"Je t'aime."

"What did you say?" Nisha murmured sleepily, not quite catching what he'd said.

"When you're ready to hear what it means, I'll tell you." he said, kissing her passionately.

TBC...

>>>>>>>>>>oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo>>>>>>>>>>


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date:** 24th August 2007  
**Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter:** 9/10  
**Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **(Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **Irresponsible**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 9

"So, what are you saying John, you want me to manufacture a job, so that Tanisha will stay on Atlantis." Doctor Weir asked him, looking at him sitting on the other side of the desk.

"No, not manufacture one, just use her abilities." he told her.

"You did tell me she was a thief, didn't you?"

"Well yes, but I'm not talking about that part of it."

"Then what part of it are you talking about?" she asked and watched as he stood up, and started pacing back and forth in her office.

"When she...takes objects...she has to find out as much as she can about the person she intends to take the object from, and also has to find out about the place where the object is kept. This, in my book, makes her very good at gathering, what we call, intelligence. Which is something we are in dire need of, especially in this galaxy."

"I agree with you there, we do need a lot more people who can attain intelligence, but what makes you think she'd want to do that kind of thing?"

"I don't know if she will, not yet. But, I needed your agreement before I asked her."

"Alright, ask her, and see what she says, then let me know."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha had been out of the infirmary for a week and a half now, and she was feeling a lot better. John still hadn't said anything about when he would take her home. Not that she wanted to go home, but the longer she stayed here, the harder it would be when she did have to go home. She decided to ask him about it.

She entered his office and found him looking for something under his desk, he lifted his head up to see who'd entered, and smiled when he saw her.

"Hi, everything okay?" he asked.

"I was just wondering, if you'd be taking me home this week?"

He grimaced and got up to sit in the chair behind his desk.

"No, not this week."

"Next week?" she asked.

He took ages before he said anything, then when he did speak, Nisha was a little shocked by what he asked.

"How would you like to stay here, on Atlantis."

"Stay here." she asked stunned by the question.

"Yes."

"And do what?" she wanted to know, she couldn't see what she'd do if she stayed here. And she wasn't the type to just sit around and do nothing.

"Doctor Weir has a job for you..." she didn't let him finish before she jumped in with the questions.

"A job? What kind of job? Does she need me to retrieve something?"

"Not quite retrieve something, more in the way of finding out something." he said, but she still didn't know what he was on about. When he saw the confusion on her face, he elaborated more.

"We're negotiating a treaty with one of the planets we visit, but the guy there is procrastinating, and won't sign the deal. He keeps adding things to it, and pushing for more incentives, and Weir is at a loss as to why this guy won't sign the deal."

"So what do you think I can do about that?" she asked, even more confused.

"Just do what you normally do when you are hired to retrieve an object. Find out about the man and the place where the object is, only this time you don't have to go the final step, and retrieve anything. Just find out the information, and then return here."

"And that's all you'd expect me to do?"

"Yes, so what do you think?" John asked, hoping she'd go for it.

Nisha thought about it, it sounded easy enough, and she already did that kind of thing anyway. If she took the job she'd get to stay here, where John was, and maybe their relationship could grow in to more than just sex.

"Alright, I'll do it." she said.

John didn't realise he was holding his breath, until she answered, and he sighed with relief.

"That's great, I'll tell Weir, and she can explain everything to you." he told her, he stood up, and came around the desk and pulled her in to his embrace to kiss her.

He genuinely, seemed pleased that she would be staying, Nisha knew he liked her, she just didn't know how much he liked her, or whether it was just the sex he liked. He still kept saying those strange words to her, and he still wouldn't tell her what he was saying. So, Nisha had started to repeat the words back to him, which seemed to make John smile. She would definitely have to find out what he was saying.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Now that Nisha had been given the all clear by Doctor Beckett, and was considered well enough, Doctor Weir explained what the problem was, and what she needed to know. The one drawback for Nisha was that they wanted her to have someone with her, and the only person who hadn't been seen by this Dalton guy, was Ronon.

Nisha grimaced as she entered the Gate room and saw Ronon standing next to John. She still didn't know what his problem with her was, but she could sense the tension from him.

"Got everything you need?" John asked her, as she came to stop beside him.

"Yes, I have everything."

"Not feeling sick, or anything?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine." she told him. Not wanting to tell him that she'd thrown up, again, before.

"Okay, well Ronon knows what to do, so we'll see you when you get back. And be careful."

"I'm always careful."

He watched as Nisha and Ronon left through the Stargate, he just hope that it went well. And he hoped Ronon behaved himself, he knew something about Nisha bothered Ronon, but when he asked him what it was, Ronon ignored him.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Ronon didn't say very much as they walked along the pathway to the village, but then neither did Nisha. They arrived at the village and found somewhere to stay for a few days. Then Nisha started to make contact with the locals, she found out who the local gossip was, and sat with him for a while to learn a few things. She plied him with drink and food, and got to know some of the names of the people who worked for Dalton. She found out that there was one particular woman whom she needed to speak to, who worked for Dalton, but she wouldn't be here until tomorrow.

She'd been very aware of Ronon hovering in the background, she'd felt his eyes on her the whole time, watching her. Seeing as there was nothing else she could do, they went back to the room, where Nisha used the bed, and Ronon, used the chair. Both Nisha and Ronon, avoided saying much to each other, which was driving Nisha mad.

The next few days seemed to go very slowly, Nisha made contact with the woman, who worked for Dalton. As soon as she met the woman, she knew she wouldn't be able to get the information out of her so easily. She started off by talking to her, sympathised with the woman's problems and little by little, and day by day she got to know what the woman had overheard Dalton saying about Doctor Weir.

It had taken almost four days, but she'd managed to find out a lot about Dalton, and knew she had enough information for Doctor Weir to work with, so she told Ronon that they could go back to Atlantis. But there was just one more thing she had to do before they left, and that was to confront Ronon.

"Do you have a problem with me?" Nisha asked Ronon, just as they were about to leave the room, Ronon turned around and stared at her.

"Yes, I have a problem with you." he told her, finally admitting what she already knew.

"So what is it?" she asked.

"I'd like the locket back that you stole from me." he said harshly.

"I didn't steal any locket from you." she told him.

"It was hidden on my body when you shot us with those dart guns, but when I woke up on Atlantis, it was gone."

"So just because I take things, you're assuming I took it." she asked.

"I don't see how anyone else could have taken it."

"I did not take your locket." she told him truthfully.

"So where is it?"

Nisha remembered Lucas picking something up off the floor but she didn't think anything of it. Later when she'd asked him what it was he'd told her it was a gold chain, he thought one of the men who'd captured Sheppard, must have dropped it. She'd dismissed it and hadn't thought about it since.

"I think Lucas may have found your locket, and when I say found, I mean found. He picked something up off the floor, but, I can't be absolutely sure it was your locked, because I never got a look at it, and Lucas just said it was a gold chain." she told him.

"The locket was attached to a gold chain." Ronon told her.

"We could make a detour to Lucas' before we go back to Atlantis and get it." she suggested.

Ronon thought about it, and decided that he really wanted the locket back, so they made a detour before they returned back to Atlantis.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha and Ronon, were approaching the house, when Lucas suddenly came out and spotted them, he waited for them to get closer. When he saw it was Nisha and Ronon, he tensed, wondered what the hell she was doing here with the guy.

"Nisha?" he said questioningly, his eyes moving pointed towards Ronon.

"Lucas this is Ronon, he's a...friend." she hesitated somewhat over the description.

"A friend! Since when?" Lucas asked her, his eyes not moving from Ronon. Nisha ignored his question.

"Sorry I didn't contact you sooner, but there was a bit of a problem."

Lucas took them in to the house, and gave them some food and drink. Nisha went on to explain what had happened and what she was doing now.

"So you're living on Atlantis now."

"Yes."

"And everything is Alright?"

"Everything is fine, Sheppard and his people have treated me very well."

"You've lost weight." Lucas remarked, Nisha ignored his comment.

"Lucas, do you remember that gold chain you found when we snatched Sheppard. Do you still have it?"

"Yes, why?" he frowned at her.

"Could I look at it?"

"Sure, I'll go get it." he said, wondering why she wanted to see it.

When he returned a few minutes later he handed it to Nisha, she held her hand out to Ronon.

"Is this it?" she asked, Ronon picked it up from her palm.

"Yes, that's it." he said, examining the gold locket with Satedan writing engraved over it.

"What's going on?" Lucas asked.

"It belongs to Ronon, it must have dropped out of his pocket."

Lucas watched Ronon open the locket and look at the picture inside.

"She's a beautiful woman." Lucas remarked, talking about the picture that was in the locket.

"Yes she was." Ronon replied, as he snapped the locket shut and put the locket in to his pocket. They stayed for a few hours then headed back to the Stargate to return to Atlantis. Nisha, didn't ask Ronon who the woman in the locket was, she could tell it was a painful memory for him, so she didn't say anything.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

When they were back on Atlantis, Nisha went to Doctor Weir's office. Where she started to tell her what she'd learned about Dalton.

"Every time you meet him, he has people around him, doesn't he?" Nisha asked Doctor Weir.

"Yes, he does, several." Weir said.

"The problem with Dalton is that he performs for the people around him. From what I found out, it's obvious he wants to sign the agreement, but he's being manipulated by his so called friends. That's why he keeps trying to push for more changes and wanting more incentives. He seems to be a reasonable man when he's on his own, it's only when his friends are around that he becomes more demanding."

"I had the feeling his entourage was part of the problem." Weir said.

"I think if you get him in a room on his own, with just the two of you, and you give him an ultimatum. Tell him that if he doesn't sign the deal as is, then you'll go somewhere else, I guarantee, he'll sign."

"The problem is, we've already tried to do something similar to what you're suggesting. Get Dalton on his own, but we couldn't get him away from his friends."

Nisha went on to tell her about which friends where the problem ones and suggested a few ideas to get rid of them for a while, so that she could negotiate her deal.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

"So how did it go?" John asked, meeting her as she left Weir's office.

"It went well."

"Did Ronon behave himself?" he asked, as he walked along side of her.

"Yes, Ronon behaved himself."

"He did..." John asked, with surprise.

"Of course, he did."

"So do you like the job?" he asked her, hoping that she'd say she did.

"Yes, I like the job."

"Then we won't have any more talk about me taking you home."

"No, I like it here." she told him, he looked very pleased with her answer.

"That's great, look, I don't have anything else to do today, so how about spending it with me." he said, as he pulled her in to his arms.

"I'd love to."

Over the next few weeks, John and Nisha spent every spare minute they had together. She lost count of how many times John said the words 'Je t'aime' to her. Every time they made love he said them, she was beginning to thing that it was something sexual, but she couldn't figure out what. She was very curious to know what he was saying, but she wasn't sure about asking anyone, in the end she couldn't resist and decided to ask Doctor McKay.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

"McKay, you ever heard the words 'Je t'aime'?"

"Of course...why do you ask?" he turned his head to look at her.

"I heard someone saying it and I just wondered what it meant."

"It's French, it's one of the languages used on Earth."

"So what does it mean?"

"It means, I love you." he told her, missing the shocked expression on her face.

"It means what?" she was a little taken back, by McKay's revelation.

"It means, I love you. Why, where did you hear it?" he asked curious about who she'd heard saying it.

"Oh, er...some people were talking and the guy kept saying it." she lied.

"Really, who was it, not that guy from Zelenka's lab, was it. Who was he saying it too..." McKay wouldn't give up asking questions.

"I really don't know who the guy was." she told him.

When he tried to get her to describe the guy, Nisha pretended to be sick and ran out of the lab with her hand over her mouth. Luckily, McKay believed her ruse, and didn't follow her outside, she quickly got away from the lab just in case he changed his mind.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

The next time John made love to her, and said the words, Nisha was ready for him.

"Je t'aime." he muttered as he rained kisses over her face and neck.

"I love you too." she replied, and John, froze, his face pressed against her neck.

He could feel his heart beating fiercely in his chest, it felt like he'd been waiting forever to hear her tell him that she loved him.

"So you were curious enough to find out what it meant." he said, lifting his head up so he could look down at her.

"Yes, why didn't you just say it, why use a strange language?"

"I did say it, if you remember, but you didn't want to hear it." he rolled to the side and laid on his back.

"When did you say it?" she frowned, and rolled on to her side, so that she was facing him.

"When you were in the infirmary."

"You were only joking then."

"No I wasn't."

"But I thought..."

"I know what you thought..."

"You could have tried to tell me again."

"So, is it true?" he asked, turning his head to look at her. Even though she'd said it, he wasn't sure if she'd meant it or just said it to show that she knew what he was saying.

"Is what true?"

"That you love me."

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

"Neither would I." he said, watching her closely.

He leaned over, and kissed her, "I love you." he told her.

"I love you too." she answered him.

"It's about time you admitted it." John growled, before dragging her beneath him.

"I wasn't sure how you felt about me"

"Not sure! Couldn't you tell?" he asked.

"How was I supposed to know, if you didn't tell me?"

"I did tell you, and I showed you."

"But not where I could understand it."

"Well you understand it now, so stop arguing and tell me you love me."

"I just did." she said.

"Tell me again."

"Why?"

"Because I need to hear it, now tell me." he said, kissing her chin, and moving down towards her breasts.

"I love you." she cried as his mouth moved across her breasts.

"Again." he told her.

"I...oh," she moaned as he stroked his tongue across her nipple "...love you."

"Again." he told her, making love to her, with the knowledge that she loved him in return.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Nisha was still feeling sick, but she didn't say anything to John. It was only when she fainted, while she was with him, that he found out something was wrong. Then he'd insisted that she have Doctor Beckett check her over.

Nisha came out of the infirmary, and walked back to the room she'd been given. She'd met Sheppard over eleven weeks ago, and now here she was, unable to believe what Doctor Beckett had just told her.

"Is something wrong?" Sheppard asked from the doorway, as he entered her quarters.

"Doctor Beckett just told me the results of the tests that I had taken."

"And?" John asked, moving up to turn her around and face him. She had a shocked look on her face. "Nisha, what's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant." she announced.

"You're pregnant." he repeated.

He wasn't that surprised, he'd had a sneaky suspicion that she could be pregnant. But when he'd tried to mention it some weeks earlier, she'd said it was because of the bite, so he'd let it drop, and hadn't mentioned it again.

"Yes, it seems your last request, has had a lasting effect."

"And you don't want a lasting effect?" he asked, unsure as to how she was feeling. She may have said she loved him, but that didn't mean she wanted a baby.

"I never thought about it. I thought my period was late because I was sick and had lost so much weight. I didn't for one second think it was because I was pregnant."

"So you're okay with this, you're not upset that you're pregnant?" he asked, still trying to fathom what she was actually feeling, if she was happy or not.

"No, I'm not upset, just a little stunned, what about you?" she asked, looking at him.

"Me! I'm delighted." he said, smiling, "Very, very delighted." his added, as his smile got bigger.

"You don't mind..." she asked.

"Hell, no... why would I mind, I love you." he said, moving closer to her. His eyes lowered to her stomach, and he reached his hand out, placing it against the slight swell of her stomach. There wasn't much of a bump to see at the moment, but knowing that his baby was growing inside her was an overwhelming feeling.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

8 Weeks Later

John was lying next to Nisha in bed, trying to sleep, but he couldn't because she kept tossing and turning.

"What's the matter?" he asked, turning on to his side and pulling her towards him.

"I can't sleep."

"Want me to make love to you. You don't have any problem with falling asleep after that." he said, and nuzzled his face against her cheek.

"It's the baby, it's restless." she moaned, and rubbed her hand across the swell of her stomach.

"Does that help?" he asked, watching as she continued to stroke her hand over her stomach.

"Yes, sometimes."

"Here, let me do that." he brushed her hand away and began stroking his own hand across her stomach, in a soothing motion. After a while of doing this, he realised that Nisha had fallen asleep, but he kept on stroking his hand over her. He was a little stunned when he felt the baby kick against his hand. He moved his hand further across her stomach and pressed the palm of his hand against her, and again, he felt the baby kicking.

He couldn't resist pushing the covers back and pressing his cheek against her stomach. Just another four months to go before the baby was born, and he could hardly wait. He pressed his lips against her stomach, then he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

TBC...

>>>>>>>>>>oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo>>>>>>>>>>


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: **The Exchange

**Date:** 31 August 2007  
**Author: **Kazavid**  
Chapter:** 10/10  
**Rating: **M**  
Pairing: **John Sheppard / OFC – Tanisha Toryn (Nisha)**  
Archiving: **None**  
Warnings: **(Sexual Content /Violence /Possible Torture) **  
Spoilers: **Irresponsible**  
Feedback: **Yes**  
Disclaimer:** Stargate Atlantis and it's character do not belong to me. **  
Summary: **After being rescued from certain death, Sheppard must now escape, or persuade, his 'rescuers', not to hand him over, to face retribution, from someone who wants to see him dead.

The Exchange

CHAPTER 10

Nisha was on the balcony when John entered the room, she was leaning her arms on the rail and looking out over the city.

"Lovely view isn't it." Nisha remarked as he came over to stand behind her.

"Beautiful." he answered, his eyes focused on her, and not the city.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, and pulled her back to lean against his chest.

"How's the baby been treating you today, still making you feel sick?" he asked, letting his hands slide down to rest on the swell of her stomach.

"The baby's been very good, I haven't felt sick at all, In fact, I'm feeling hungry." she told him, turning around in his arms, she smiled, expectantly, at him.

"Hungry." he laughed, kissing her. "So you expect me to feed you, do you?"

"Yes, please."

"Now when you say hungry, is that hungry for food, or hungry for me." he asked, kissing her softly.

"Definitely hungry for you," she sighed, "But I'm afraid the food has to take precedence." she told him.

"You mean I get beaten in to second place by a plate of food." he moaned and lifted his head up.

"I'm afraid so."

"Just think, 2 more months, and the baby won't be in there, he, or she, will be out here, with us." he said stroking his hand across her stomach.

"I know, daunting isn't it."

"Very, but I'm looking forward to it." he admitted.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

2 MONTHS LATER

Nisha had been feeling pains for a few hours now, but she didn't want to say anything yet. She'd seen other women having babies and it had always been a long process, usually lasting most of the day, and sometimes it even carried on in to the next day. So she was not about to spend the entire day sitting in the infirmary, doing nothing.

She took a shower trying to ease the pain in her lower back and abdomen, but it didn't do much. Then she went for a walk, and had to stop every so often when the pain gripped her. She found walking around helped her more than lying down did, so she walked a little more.

When the pains started to get closer together, and last a little longer, she headed towards the infirmary. She walked slowly, because the pains were becoming very frequent, she tried to massage her lower back, but it was difficult, and awkward.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

Ronon was walking down the corridor headed towards the mess hall, when he came upon Nisha. She was walking very slowly, and kept stopping every so often, her hand pressing against her lower back. The low moan that came from her, alerted him to the fact that she was in pain.

"Nisha, what's wrong?" he asked, coming up behind her.

"What do you think is wrong?" she cried, sarcastically, as another pain gripped her. She moaned, and tried to ease the pain, but nothing was working. _Maybe she shouldn't have left it so long, she thought._

"Where are you going?" he asked her, because she was headed in the opposite direction to the infirmary.

"For a walk." she shouted at him, she stopped and closed her eyes and tried to breathe through the pain.

Ronon smiled, he was thankful that Sheppard would have to deal with this, and not him. He tapped his ear piece and spoke.

"Sheppard, I think Nisha is having the baby."

"YOU, THINK!" Nisha, shouted, _it didn't take a genius to figure that out, she thought._

"WHAT! NOW!" Sheppard shouted back, alarmed by Ronon's sudden revelation, that had come out of the blue.

Ronon, had Nisha screaming in one ear, and Sheppard shouting in the other one.

"Yes, now." Ronon said, watching as Nisha began walking up and down.

"Can you get her to the infirmary. I'll meet you there." Sheppard asked him, he was already leaving the Gate room and heading towards the infirmary.

"Sure, If she'll let me."

"What do you mean, 'if she'll let you'?" Sheppard asked, and frowned, he paused in the corridor, and waited for Ronon to explain.

"You ever tried telling a pregnant woman, what to do?" Ronon asked him.

"No, but I can't see what the problem is."

"Well believe me, they do exactly what they want, when they want to do it, and not before." Ronon told him, he sighed, as Nisha suddenly stopped walking and glared at him. Then she started to rub her hand across her swollen belly.

"I think you'd better come and take her to the infirmary yourself."

"Just stay there with her, I'm on my way." Sheppard took off at a quicker pace along the corridor.

"You'd better hurry." Ronon warned him.

"She can't be having it that quick. It takes hours for babies to be born." Sheppard remarked.

"Yeah, well she's having pains every few minutes, so I'd say she's been in labour for a while."

"She can't have been. She would have said something...wouldn't she? Why didn't she say something?" Sheppard screamed, down Ronon's ear, causing him to wince.

"I'll leave you to ask her that question, when you get here." Ronon said, he wasn't about to ask her why she hadn't told Sheppard, he just wanted to be anywhere but here.

Ronon stayed close to Nisha as she walked along the corridor, she'd turned around and was now headed towards the infirmary, _well at least they were going in the right direction, he thought. _They had just reached one of the main doors when it suddenly slammed shut, and the lights dimmed.

"What the..." Sheppard cursed in Ronon's ear.

"Sheppard, what's going on, the doors have just locked?" Ronon asked, banging his hand against the door.

"MCKAY!" Sheppard screamed, they definitely needed a volume control on these ear pieces, Ronon thought, as Sheppard continued to rant and curse at McKay, very loudly.

"McKay, what the hell did you do. All the doors have locked." Sheppard stood there, staring at the doors in front of him, which had suddenly slammed shut, and where now securely locked.

"I told you I was running a new programme to help reduce the power consumption." McKay said, oblivious to everything but his experiment.

"Did it have to be now." Sheppard asked, as he tried to get the doors to open, but they wouldn't budge.

"I'm sorry, Colonel, but I didn't know I needed your permission to run any tests. I thought being head of the science department, gave me all the authority I needed." McKay told him.

"Just turn the damn thing off, you can do the test later, after I get Nisha to the infirmary. And preferably, after she's had the baby." Sheppard shouted, and kicked the door, frustrated that it wouldn't open.

"Oh, she's having the baby. You never said... if you'd told me, I would have waited."

"I didn't know she was having the baby." Sheppard bit out, wondering why she hadn't told him she was in labour.

"So where is she?" McKay asked.

"She's stuck in a corridor, behind one of the doors. Now turn the damn programme off, and unlock the doors."

"Um..." McKay muttered.

"Um, what?" Sheppard asked, staring at the doors, waiting for them to open.

"Um...the programme doesn't seem to be responding."

Sheppard groaned, trust McKay to do something like this now.

"Well fix it, and hurry up." he turned around, looking to see if there was another way he could go, but there wasn't, he was stuck.

"Sheppard, is there a problem?" Ronon asked, he didn't like the sound of the conversation he'd been listening to. He glanced at Nisha, she was leaning heavily, against the wall, her face damp with sweat, and she was panting, trying to breathe through another pain.

"Problem? No, no problem. Just McKay playing mad scientist again." Sheppard joked, then threatened that if McKay didn't hurry up, he'd personally go down there and shove a lemon down his throat.

"McKay! What the hell are you doing?" Sheppard shouted.

"I'm trying, but nothing seems to be working."

"Christ, McKay, why do you always pick the wrong time to do these things?"

"Oh, like there's ever a right time."

"Sheppard, I think you'd better..." Ronon spoke, but was cut short, as Nisha moaned, and shouted, very loudly.

"Ronon, what's going on?" Sheppard shouted, alarmed by Nisha's cry.

"I think you'd better get Beckett, just in case." Ronon told him.

"Just in case what? Is she okay?" Sheppard asked, cursing the fact that he wasn't there.

"It looks like she's about to have the baby right here."

"NOW! How long has she been in labour for?" Sheppard was in total shock, how could she be having the baby right now. Labour usually lasted a lot longer than this, hell he'd only been told that she was in labour a few minutes ago, and now Ronon was telling him, that she was ready to have it.

"McKay, contact Beckett and tell him to put his ear piece in."

"Why do you want Beckett to put his ear piece in?"

Sheppard threw his head back, and looked up at the ceiling, in disbelief.

"Why? So he can tell you how to remove a lemon from your throat, that's why. Now just do it."

"No need for insults..."

"Your lucky I'm only using insults. Believe me if I were in the same room with you, you'd have a lot more than insults to worry about."

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

"Alright, Ronon, can you tell me how she's doing?" Beckett asked him.

"I'm not sure, but she seems fine." Ronon told him.

Nisha was panting, trying to breath like Sara, had taught her. Sara, was one of Beckett's nurses, who'd been trained as a Midwife, and she'd shown, and told Nisha, what to expect.

"Can't you ask her?" Beckett said.

Ronon stared at Nisha, he remembered the last time he'd been near a pregnant female, and how she'd reacted when he'd tried to help. He wasn't about to add another scar to his person.

"Not right now, no."

"Just bloody ask her for god's sake." Beckett swore.

"I'm not that brave." Ronon told Beckett.

"Not that brave! You kill Wraith for god's sake, and don't bat an eyelash. All you have to do is ask her how she's doing."

"Yeah, I can handle a Wraith, this is a pregnant female about to give birth. I learned to stay away from women who are about to give birth, they're unpredictable."

"Christ, you're not much bloody help are ye." Beckett cried.

"She doesn't look like she needs any help." Ronon remarked, as he watched Nisha lean against the wall and bend over as another pain gripped her. Ronon knew most females found their own way of getting through the pain. So he wasn't about to interfere in that process.

Nisha leaned against the wall, as her belly tightened and the pain intensified.

"Well thankfully, most women give birth without much help. Which is just as well, considering all the help you're going to be." Beckett told him.

"Sheppard should be here, not me." Ronon told him, he was begining to feel very uncomfortable about having to deliver the baby.

"Aye, and I'm sure he wishes he was there, but he isn't. So, Ronon, I need to know how dilated she is."

"You mean you want me to look?" Ronon asked warily, he didn't like this one bit.

"No I'd like you to guess," Beckett said exasperated by Ronon's behaviour. "Of course I want you to bloody look."

Ronon cautiously approached her, as soon as he got close to her, she reached her hand out and grabbed his arm. She began squeezing his arm, as another pain seared through her abdomen. He was surprised by how strong her grip was, but he didn't shake her hand off, even when her nails dug, painfully, in to his skin. He waited until the pain had passed, and when he felt her grip relax, he tried to coax her to lie down. He then waited for her to decided if she wanted to lie down, or not.

She looked at him, and wanted to refuse, but she knew he was right. The pains were very close together, and she knew the baby was almost ready to be born. She couldn't lie down on the floor on her own, so Ronon helped her.

"Doctor Beckett needs to know how dilated you are." he told her, again he waited for her to decided what she wanted to do. He really didn't want to be here, he'd rather be chasing a couple of Wraith than where he was right now.

Nisha nodded her head, and bent her legs, letting Ronon check on the progress. She heard Ronon telling Doctor Beckett all the details, while she was concentrating on trying to control the pain, and the urge to push, which she knew she had to hold back on. She knew that she shouldn't push until it was the right time.

"It sounds like she's fully dilated, so tell her, if she feels the urge to push, to go ahead and push." Beckett told him.

Locked in another corridor, Sheppard felt so helpless, all he could do was listen, while Ronon delivered the baby. He rested his forehead against the door, and just hoped that everything went normally. And that Nisha and the baby would be okay.

"McKay, you found what the problem is yet?" Sheppard asked, the tone of his voice sounded dejected.

"Not yet, and if you keep asking the same question every couple of minutes, it will take even longer." McKay, blithely informed him.

Sheppard turned his back to the door, and slid down till he was sitting on the floor. He listened to Beckett telling Ronon what to do, and groaned as Ronon told Beckett, he could see the baby's head. In the background, he could hear Nisha moaning and shouting at Ronon, he just wished it were him she was shouting at and not Ronon.

"Beckett, the heads out." Sheppard heard Ronon saying.

"Damn it McKay, hurry up with the blasted doors." Sheppard groaned, frustrated at not being there to see his child born.

"Just a few seconds more, then I think I have it." McKay told him.

Sheppard stood up, ready to dive through the doors when they opened, which seemed to be taking forever. He could hear Beckett asking Ronon if the cord was free of the baby's head, and Ronon telling him that it looked fine.

"Do you have anything to wrap the baby in." Beckett asked.

"Yeah, I have something." Ronon assured him, and then dragged his shirt off.

"She's looking pretty tired here Doc." Ronon said, watching Nisha close her eyes tiredly.

"This is almost the final part, you have to get her to push."

"I'm not sure she has the energy."

"Ronon, you have to get her to push, this should be the last time, tell her."

"McKay, the damn doors!" Sheppard shouted, and banged his fist against the locked door.

"One more second..."

The next thing Sheppard heard was Ronon laughing, and then the sound of a baby crying. He bit his lip and closed his eyes, as he realised that his child had been born.

"Hey, Sheppard, it's a boy." Ronon shouted.

"And, there...all done." McKay shouted, as he disengaged the programme.

The doors opened, and Sheppard, who was leaning heavily against them, digesting the fact that he now had a son, fell through the doors, and landed in a heap on the floor. It took a few seconds for him to register that the doors had opened. He quickly picked himself up off the floor, and got to the corridor where Nisha and Ronon where, just in time to see Beckett and a medical team putting Nisha on a gurney. He frowned as he saw Ronon standing there bare chested, and wonder why he had no shirt on.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, coming to a halt beside Nisha.

"Everything seems fine, Colonel." Beckett assured him.

"Hey..." he said, leaning down to kiss Nisha, it was only when he lifted his head up that he realised that she was holding the baby against her chest, wrapped in Ronon's shirt.

He stroked his fingertips lightly over the baby's head, a little nervous that he might press too hard.

"He's beautiful." he whispered to Nisha.

"You're only saying that because he looks like you." she smiled, sleepily.

"You think he looks like me?" Sheppard asked, curiously.

"Definitely looks like you." she said, smiling as Sheppard seemed to enjoy the fact that his son looked just like him.

"I'd like to get them to the infirmary, and just double check that everything is okay." Beckett said, looking at Sheppard.

"Of course." he grabbed hold of Nisha's hand and walked along side the gurney, kissing her hand every so often.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

An couple of hours later, after Beckett had made sure Nisha and the baby were fine, John found that he couldn't stop looking at his son. Nisha was lying on the bed propped up, and holding the baby in the crook of her arm.

John was half lying, half perching, on the edge of the bed, his arm behind her back, as she held the baby. When Sara came over and showed Nisha how to breastfeed the baby, Sheppard watched, avidly, as his son latched on to her breast and began suckling. He heard Nisha, draw her breath in sharply.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, wanting to know.

"I wouldn't say it hurt, it just feels strange." she told him.

"Hungry isn't he." John laughed, as he stroked his hand over his son's downy hair.

"Takes after his father." she told him, John looked at her and grinned. They were both fascinated, and just watched as their child took his first taste of food.

"Thank you." John said, bending his head down to kiss her cheek.

"What for?" Nisha asked, frowning at him.

"For giving me such a beautiful son."

"Wanna hold him?" she asked, as the baby stopped suckling.

John had held the baby before, but not for long, Beckett had fussed over him, checking that everything was Alright. Then when he'd brought the baby back, Sara had come over to show Nisha how to breastfeed, so he hadn't had another opportunity to hold the baby.

John took hold of the baby, and held him in his arms, he was feeling a little nervous, because the baby looked so small. He laughed when his son started nuzzling his face against his chest.

"Sorry pal, but you won't find any food there." he placed his lips against his sons head and kissed him. He got so lost in just holding the baby that when he looked up a short time later, it was to find that Nisha had fallen asleep.

"You've tired your mother out, so it looks like you're stuck with me for the time being." he told his son.

"Colonel Sheppard, would you like me to take the baby?" Sara asked as she came over to stand by John.

"No, It's Alright, were doing fine." he told her, as he kept hold of his son.

"Okay, but if you need me I'm just outside." she told him, then left.

Sheppard settled down on the bed, next to Nisha, and just held on to his son.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

The next day, Teyla and Weir visited Nisha and John, they gave their congratulations, and then after staying for a while they left.

Ronon and McKay were hovering in the background, Nisha called Ronon over.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did." she told him.

"There's no need."

"Yes there is, I know you didn't want to be there, but you stayed with me all the same."

"I couldn't very well leave you on your own now, could I."

"Well, I still want to thank you."

Ronon looked embarrassed, and Nisha smiled to herself. She never thought she'd see Ronon embarrassed by anything. He'd been so intimidating when she'd first met him.

"Don't tell McKay this, but I'm glad it was you and not him I was trapped with. I think McKay would have passed out well before the baby was born." Nisha told him.

Ronon, started laughing, loudly, which caused McKay to look over at him.

"What's Ronon laughing at?" McKay asked Sheppard.

"Didn't you hear what they were saying?" Sheppard asked him.

"No."

"Then what makes you think I heard?" Sheppard shouted.

"No need to shout." McKay grumbled, curious as to what Ronon was laughing at.

>>>>>ooooo>>>>>

"So we're going to call the baby, Christopher Ronon Sheppard." John told Ronon and McKay.

"You're giving the baby Ronon's name?" McKay cried in a high pitched tone.

"Yes." John answered him.

"How come? Why aren't you giving it my name?" McKay wanted to know.

"Because Ronon helped to deliver the baby, and Nisha wants it."

"And what about me, didn't I help, I got the doors open." McKay, argued.

John, glared at McKay, he really didn't want to think about that.

"You got the doors open." John, repeated incredulously, "You're the one who shut the damn doors in the first place." he shouted.

"Yes, well if you'd told me she was having the baby, I would have waited to run the test. But you never said a word, you kept it to yourself."

"I didn't keep anything to myself, I didn't know..." John cried, exasperated by McKay.

Nisha listened to McKay moaning about the names so she quickly butt in to the conversation

"Alright, we'll call him, Christopher Ronon McKay Sheppard." she shouted, expecting this little announcement to shut McKay up, it didn't.

"McKay? Why not Rodney?" McKay wanted to know.

"I like McKay better." Nisha told him.

McKay seemed to be deep in thought, before he opened his mouth again.

"How come Ronon's name goes second, why not mine?" McKay, asked affronted.

"Oh, for crying out loud, McKay, just be satisfied it's in there." John snapped at him.

"But..." he went to continue arguing, but thought better of it when John cocked his head to the side and glared at him. McKay turned his back to John.

"Sounds so much better, Christopher McKay Ronon Sheppard." McKay muttered under his breath.

"Sounds even better if you drop the McKay from it altogether." John whispered in to McKay's ear. Threatening, not to use his name at all.

"You wouldn't." McKay said, incensed.

"Keep pushing McKay, and I will."

"Fine, have it your way." McKay finally gave in.

"Thanks McKay we will."

Ronon loomed towards McKay.

"You got a problem with my name going second McKay?" Ronon asked, him, as he came to stand next to McKay.

"What? Me? No, no problem, I was just...you know...asking." McKay stammered, and then shut up arguing over the baby's name.

When Ronon and McKay left , John turned to Nisha.

"Do you suppose we could leave McKay's name out." he asked.

"No, we can't." she laughed.

"Why not, he wouldn't know."

"I'd know."

"It was just a thought." John sighed. "You know he's gonna need a brother or a sister." John announced.

"Who? McKay?" Nisha asked confused.

"No, Christopher."

"He's only a day old, he doesn't need one yet."

"Nothing wrong with planning ahead." he told her, moving to sit next to her on the bed.

"Yes there is, I planned ahead when I kidnapped you, and look how it's turned out." she reminded him.

"I'd say it turned out pretty spectacular." he grinned.

"So would I," she admitted, turning her face to kiss him.

"Je t'aime." Nisha whispered against his ear, John, groaned then wrapped his arms around her.

"I love you, too."

The End...

**A/N** – I hope you liked the story. And thank you for taking the time to read and review.

>>>>>>>>>>ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo>>>>>>>>>>


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